Face
by heartlessromantic667
Summary: Set in 1981, the gang decides to go on one more blow out before their lives "start to go to crap," after Kelso tells them about a supposedly haunted house in Somers. Yet as soon as they arrive, they're faced with their inner horrors coming to life.
1. Preview

**_Hello all! I have decided that since "Never Coming Home" is almost done, and "How It Came To Be" will take a very long time to finish, I will begin to post a newer story that I've had tucked away for quite some time. I got the idea to actually post it from our Fan-Fic board (check the reviews section for a link if you're interested.) Hopefully it will be updated frequently, yet my first priority is to update "How It Came To Be." I hope you enjoy this, and note, it will be graphic/gory/dark, so if you don't like any of that, then it's not for you. :)_**

**I will be posting the prologue after this, but after that this may or may not be updated for awhile. **

_**Thanks!**_

_**Much Love,**_

_**Angie**_

* * *

**Face the limits...**

"Come on, guys, no one will find us!" Eric pressed, feeling a surge of adrenaline and rebellion as he pulled up the brick driveway. "This is our last blow out, you know... we're all getting older. The next time we do anything like this we'll be cruising the nursing homes in wheelchairs," He teased, grinning at his twenty-one year old fiancee, who smiled adoringly at him.

"I guess... what the hell, it'll be fun." She chimed in, rubbing her thumb on his hand...

**Face the unseen...**

Kelso's heart pounded fiercely in his head as he walked down the long hallway that reeked of mothballs and musty air. He whimpered in fear as he held the first door handle, unsure if he should open it. This place was beyond freaky, he shouldn't have told them about this stupid 'haunted house.'

"Fez, where'd you go?" Though he didn't get a response from his friend, he knew he wasn't alone. He could hear a deep breathing from behind him, and the hairs on the back of his neck prickled. Kelso chuckled quietly and slowly turned around. "Alright, Hyde, you got me... good tr- oh my God!" His screams were muffled by a gloved hand as he felt a sharp pain in the middle of his back...

**Face your fears...**

Donna's eyes opened to darkness as she felt herself lying down. She didn't remember falling asleep, the last thing she remembered was her and Eric making out in the kitchen of the darkened house. She began to sit up, yet fell back as her head bumped against something hard, like a plank of wood.

"What the hell?" She asked aloud, her hand reaching to the side. Her breath hitched as she felt wood encasing her, not even a foot on both sides.

_'Oh my God,'_ she thought, panic rising as tears formed in her eyes, "Help!" She screamed as her claustrophobia took over. Her hands punched at the top of the coffin-like structure while her feet kicked the bottom. Her fear was only growing stronger when she heard no one; where was she? She couldn't think about her claustrophobia, she needed to stay calm.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!" She screamed at the top of her lungs as her shoulders convulsed with heavy sobs, her jagged fingernails trying to scratch their way through the wood...

**Face a loss...**

Jackie couldn't move, her eyes stared straight as she watched Hyde bite his lip, running through back yard as he searched through his pockets. The last thing he said to her was to "stay put, he'd find out who this bastard was." The tall silhouette she had seen before began to walk towards her. She stifled a scream as she caught the silver glint of a blade reflect from the bright moon.

"Steven!" The twenty year old woman cried, her voice ringing through the air. She knew he wasn't going to let her die. Her heart pounded heavily in her head and nearly jumped out of her chest as she watched, paralyzed as the man raised his knife. Jackie braced herself for the crippling pain that would consume her body, and closed her eyes.

"Jackie!" She heard Steven cry, his heavy footsteps from his boots echoed through her mind. She flinched as she heard the sound of the large blade perforate through skin; yet she couldn't feel anything. Opening her eyes, she screamed as the blade came down once again...

**Face your demise...**

Hyde shook with anger and frustration; he was sick of this. He just wanted to find his friends and get the hell out of this house. He had thought the whole idea was stupid, Forman had ruined his plans with Jackie; the black velvet box felt like it could burn through his jeans pocket.

Sighing, he turned the door knob and walked into the large dark room.

"This is a load of bull sh-" Hyde abruptly stopped speaking as he felt a droplet of liquid fall on his shoulder. His stomach flipped as he raised his flashlight.

The sound of heavy drops hitting the floor were heard as he stared at the hole where the stomach should have been. He gagged as he saw the guts and insides were pulled from the stomach, hanging out and on the floor. Slowly, he glanced up, his disgust of the guts and noose were long forgotten.

"Shit," he whispered in fear, his voice quivering as he stared in the demented face of his own...

**Face the facts...**.

"Guys, where did you go?" Fez asked, climbing up the stairs. He had woken up on the couch, everything must have been a dream, seeing Jackie and Kelso and Hyde and Eric and Donna all dead, like some twisted Alfred Hitchcock movie gone wrong. How could he have fallen asleep at a haunted house? Fez chuckled at that as he stepped onto the creaky floorboards. He just wanted to know where they all were; they wouldn't have forgotten about him... unless they were playing some trick on him. "Guys, come on I want to leave!" He whined.

"Your friends aren't here anymore, they left a long time ago..." Fez jumped at the dark, yet all too familiar voice and turned around. He whimpered and backed away as he stared into the sinister smile.

"They're gone now... just like you."

_**It's time for you to face yourself...**_


	2. Prologue

You never really know what you have until it's gone. You never understand the beauty of life and how lucky you are until it's pried from you cold, dead hands. You're never faced with the lies you tell, the secrets you hide, or forced to deal face your inner fears and demons. People continue on in their lives knowing their facades and their darkest secrets, yet never really embrace them. In life, if you want the world to know who you really are and to be completely honest with everyone in your life, you must first be completely honest with yourself. You must face those lies, fears, and secrets, and everything that you stand to loathe about yourself, your loved ones, and everything else.

I remember them well; a group of six very close friends with only a few things in common. They were always together. They were your perfect clan with people of all stereotypes; the geek, the beautiful feminist, the self-centered yet misunderstood girl, the handsome yet dumb fellow, rebellious but quietly smart leader, and the foreigner. All brought together in mysterious ways, yet wouldn't change their crossings for the world.

Four of the six were together, the geek and the beauty were awaiting their wedding day in just two days, and the rebellious leader and misunderstood square were patching up their messed up love/hate relationship. The handsome one was content with child and the mother of, and the foreigner was happy with Beauty's younger sister, though it was best kept as a secret within the group. They were all in grate states, so wrapped up in the joy they finally had in their lives; no drama, no complications. So in love and so proud of how their roles as young adults were playing out; the geek- sophomore in college, the beauty- a sophomore in college as well, for a journalism major. The handsome one was a successful police-officer living in a small home with his girlfriend who was the mother of his child, and his young daughter. The foreigner was attending community college for a business major, while the self-centered one was a freshman in the same college as the beauty and the geek for a broadcasting major. The rebellious one was the owner of a record store, yet was secretly taking classes that only his girlfriend knew of; culinary arts.

All six had long forgotten their past woes and darkness, all put their worries and fears in the back of their minds, never to be thought of. AS well as the past secrets and mistakes so conveniently forgotten for their selfish happiness.

But I would make them remember. What they had, what they didn't deserve. They were my favorite subjects to play with, to torment and torture until they couldn't see straight. To remind them of what they were really made of. I would humanize them.

Their names were: The Geek- Eric Albert Forman. The Feminist Beauty- Donna Marie Pinciotti (soon to be Forman). The Handsome, Dumb One- Michael Christopher Kelso. The Self-Centered, Misunderstood Girl- Jacqueline Beulah Burkhart. The Rebellious, But Genius Man- Steven James Hyde. The Foreigner- went by "Fez," no one knew his real name... yet.

By the time this is all over, you will know exactly who I am; you're all familiar with me, you love me, you hate me, but you don't know me. But for those who crave answers, all that I can say is that I love to make people scream. I brought each of them; Donna, Eric, Kelso, "Fez", Jackie, and Steven to their demise.


	3. A Means To An End

_**Author's Note: Hello all! I decided this story was in dire need of updating so... here we are! This chapter will be more about introducing their lives now, the set up for the story, and just... the beginning works. This is going to be the lightest chapter throughout the story, so be warned. The story will be graphic and violent, so if you don't like, don't read or read on with caution. There is more dialogue in this chapter, too.**_

_**Hope you enjoy,**_

_**-Angie**_

* * *

_I had them in my sights. I had them marked properly; all those years of watching over them, I knew what would make them come to me, what would awaken their every fear and emotion. I knew what would make them scream and I couldn't wait to hear the deafening shrieks that suffocated the air that they fought to breathe. I didn't have to convince them, I didn't even show my face. It was the blissfully ignorant fool who had taken the geeks comments too far..._

When Eric had said he wanted to do something adventurous and risky he meant to vandalize property or trench a yard. He didn't think Kelso would want to do anything scary- after all he was the biggest chicken of the group. But when he came racing down the basement stairs with a look of pure genius spread on his face he knew the ending result wouldn't turn out well.

"Guys, guys! I have the best idea ever!" Kelso cried excitedly, eyes shining with revisited adventure.

"Last time you said that, Schotzie ended up in a coma," Eric grumbled, Fez nodded glumly as he nibbled on a licorice rope.

"No, I really mean it this time. I was driving from work and I saw this awesome house!" Kelso tried to explain. Yet as he saw the annoyed looks on his friends' faces his smile faltered. "I just thought it would be fun, like Eric had wanted... one last blowout."

"See, when I said blowout I really meant blow out," Eric chimed in, Hyde smirked and set down the newspaper he had been reading. Eric watched as Kelso walked to the deep freeze and grabbed a grape Popsicle.

"Yeah, well I thought this would be cool; we'd all camp out there for a night, we could be like... ghost hunters... dude that would be an awesome movie!" Eric and Hyde glanced at each other and sighed.

"Kelso, see that would be cool when we were seventeen. But now we're twenty-two and-"

"Exactly my point! We gotta live like we were seventeen! What excitement do we have now? A raise? We have to liiiive again!" Fez grinned and nodded vigorously.

"I agree." The two turned to the skeptical men and finally Eric sighed once more.

"Fine..." he mumbled, leaning back on the couch.

Kelso was slightly right; they never did the same things they had as their teenage selves. Bob was right when he said those were the best years of their lives... and now they were gone. They needed to live again, go back in time... or at least act like they had. Besides, the house was probably just scary looking, not haunted.

_And so I watched them from afar; waiting patiently for them to fall into my trap. Waiting, crouched like a cat as they fell into my web of horrors and then I would sink my teeth into their terrified flesh. I would make them pay for what they had done; and yet they didn't even know of their actions to begin with. It made their fate so much sweeter; they were mine._

"This is my last adventure before I'm a married man!" Eric cried a half an hour later as he downed his third beer in his apartment's living room. The three other men continued to feed him alcohol as if he were dehydrating; like always.

"And you're actually going through with it," Fez warned him as he gulped down the last of his beer. Eric nodded and took a deep breath.

"We have to do this tonight, guys! I mean, this is it; this is the final moment of our lives that we can have fun. The next time we do anything like this we'll be cruising the nursing homes in wheelchairs!" he cried, Hyde chuckled and shook his head.

"Maybe you," he mumbled, taking a draw from his cigarette as he finally made a comment in the conversation. Each of his friends looked at him curiously.

"Yeah I'm with Hyde, I'm not going to a nursing home I'm gonna be the coolest old guy on the block!" Kelso cried, Hyde sighed and chuckled as he shook his head once more.

"No, I'm not gonna go old," he replied, making Eric feel uncomfortable.

"Wait like, you don't want to get old?" Hyde shook his head. "But what about Jackie?" he shrugged his shoulders and sighed heavily.

"I don't picture myself being old, man, I picture me going out for doing-"

"I wanna die while having sex, that's the way to go!" Kelso cried, Fez grinned and nodded as he laughed.

"No, that's disgusting," a new voice was heard through the doorway. A set of keys clunked on the counter in the kitchen and the young men watched as four pairs of shoes flung from the kitchen all the way to the living room. "You should want to die in the arms of the one you love-"

"Why are we talking about this?" Fez asked suddenly, "it's deeply disturbing!" he glared at his friends who nodded in agreement. Jackie and Donna walked into the living room and found their seats next to Hyde and Eric.

"Do you two want to go to a haunted house with us?" Kelso asked, the two women glanced at each other warily.

"It's not haunted, just abandoned. We wanted to go because it's like... our last laugh, our last moment of fun-"

"What, getting married won't be fun for you?" Donna barked in offense. Eric shook his head and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"No, I didn't mean that; fun in general. We're all getting older, the last adventurous thing we did was stay out til midnight last night," he commented sarcastically to Donna who slowly nodded. "It could be fun!" The twenty-two year old woman sighed and finally smiled softly at her soon to be husband.

"Fine, we'll go."

_Perfect. This was going to be so much easier than I had imagined. _Their vulnerability and ignorance was too much for me. They were walking right into their deaths, right into the very demons they feared the most. And it was all on them.

The six quickly ran to Eric's Vista Cruiser; he had another car now but used the old boat whenever he and his friends wanted to all go out together. Like now. Before they left, they made sure they had their stock of "fun" in the back- a twenty-four pack and a replenished plastic bag of hemp.

As Eric drove, Kelso gave him directions. Soon they found themselves north bound of Point Place on the open road. Already each of them could feel the freedom and slight itch of rebellion that hadn't been scratched for awhile. But most of all, they felt like they were teens again.

"Man, I've missed this!" Kelso chirped, taking the pipe from Fez and pulled out his lighter. Hyde nodded and squeezed his hand against Jackie's waist softly. She glanced up and smiled at him and then nuzzled into his chest.

"It's like... we're nomads wandering throughout time and space to find what we lost long ago... we're like..." Donna trailed off as she leaned back in her seat, staring at the hood of the car.

"We're like jedis..." Eric finished for her which earned a chorus of groans from his friends.

"Yup, just like old times," Hyde mumbled playing with his lighter. He turned to look at Jackie who hadn't been quite her bubbly self- she hadn't gone and on about how she hated her coworkers and that "Stacy's hair was still as greasy as ever." In fact, she had been unusually quiet since she had arrived at Donna and Eric's apartment. "Hey," he whispered as his index finger tucked a lock of her dark straightened hair behind her ear. She glanced up and smiled softly at him. "You okay?" She nodded and looped her fingers with his.

"Just scared," she whispered back and then laughed quietly.

"Hey, don't be scared, we're just going to a stupid abandoned house. Besides, I've got a real treat for you when we get there." Her eyes lit up as he spoke gently into her ear so only the two of them could hear.

"But it's not about that..." she trailed off, and averted her gaze to Donna who was in the midst of a steamy conversation with her fiancee. She hadn't even looked or talked to her since she told her, and it scared her.

"Eric," Donna whispered as her fingers lightly grazed over his leg. His heart pounded loudly and his mouth dried quickly as he nearly lost all focus on the road. "Remember what we talked about last night?" Eric nodded. How could he forget? After round after round of sex that nearly blew his mind, they had a talk about spicing up their romance. He didn't think it needed any spicing- he liked how it was; slightly spicy but lots of sweet.

"Yeah...?" He asked, locking eyes with her, she grinned and held his hand as she scooted closer to him.

"Why don't we... try when we get to that house?" His eyes widened as he heard her whisper huskily in his ear.

"In a haunted house?" He knew it wasn't haunted, but just the thought of it being "haunted" made the whole situation so much kinkier. Donna nodded and started to laugh quietly. Eric grinned and started to chuckle as well. With the combination of the two laughs, the entire car soon grew into a fit of hysterics as they sped along the highway.

_Like a group of friends they were heading off for a night of fun, only to be tortured until they finally gave in to the strong pull tugging them closer and closer to me- to death. They were unaware and unaware of many things. Were there reasons in which the independent red head felt things needed to be heated? Why was the raven haired beauty so scared... and what was she afraid of? It wasn't me, yet it was up to me, up to my plan; to rip apart their secrets and spread them like their shed blood across the floor; for all to see. _

As the distance from the house lessened, the nerves of the six friends began to grow. Maybe it was because of the "circle" they had just had not too long ago, and were still having. Maybe it was because they felt they were too old for this. Or maybe it was because they believed the house was truly haunted.

"Y'know, it's sort of dark," Kelso mumbled weakly, "we could go bowling or something?" Eric snorted as he drove through the town of Somers.

"Or we could go to a movie?" Fez also suggested, fidgeting with the cuff of his sleeve as his nerves grew passed the point that he could stand.

"What, are you scared?" Eric asked darkly, turning to face Fez with a wicked grin that made the hairdresser whimper in fear.

"N-no..." he stammered, hand clenching the car handle tightly.

"Come on guys, this'll be fun! It's not like anyone is gonna find us... what have we got to lose?" Everyone was silent as the Vista Cruiser crept up the old brick driveway. The sound of erratic breathing could be heard from the six, including Eric who was only trying to seem like he wasn't scared. Truth be told, he was absolutely terrified as his eyes stared at the house.

Overgrown weeds and vines climbed up the sides of the dark grey painted house. There were broken windows and shingles that had fallen from the black roof. The porch had practically fallen through and dark colored plants that almost appeared like hands gripping the wood from under the porch slithered towards them.

Hesitance fell upon the group yet finally they climbed out of the old car and stood huddled together. Each of them stared with wide eyes at the house that could very well be seen on a horror movie.

"So... who's gonna go in first?" Kelso murmured, biting his lip nervously as he avoided staring at the home for too long. It seemed like it was watching them.

"Not me!" Jackie squeaked softly and glanced up at Hyde, "and neither are you." He turned to her and tilted his head.

"Why?" He asked nonchalantly.

"You're protecting me, if you go first I'd have to go with you and that's not going to happen," the twenty-two year old rolled his eyes at his girlfriend and shrugged his shoulders.

"Whatever," he mumbled and turned to Eric who had lost all blood in his face. Donna looked apprehensive as well yet tried to hide it more than her fiancee.

"Oh you're all a bunch of chickens!" Fez cried loudly and made his way through his friends. He haughtily walked up the rest of the driveway and attempted to climb the front porch stairs, yet fell through. After hearing a loud yelp from his friend, the other five quickly followed him. "I hurt for you, you pansies!" He hissed then tip toed his way up the five steps.

Fez's hand hovered above the doorknob and he took a deep breath. What if when he opened this door a ghost was there? Or a scary face or... a spider? Fez shuddered and shook his head- that was just his paranoia. There was nothing there, they would all be okay.

The metal knob felt hot as his hand grasped it. Slowly he turned the handle and pushed open the dark red door. When it creaked open, they all peered down the long hallway and Kelso nudged Fez to go forward. With shaking legs, Fez slowly crept into the doorway and took a deep breath.

A cold chill ran through the house as the door shut behind them. As they viewed the rooms in the house, they saw dark stains along the lighter toned walls yet figured it was just from the age and how it wasn't taken care of. The rich wood floors underneath them creaked with every step and also had dark stains like the walls. As they breathed, their lungs seemed to feel slightly suffocated from the musty and dust-filled air. There was a mixture of scents- there was the dust and the smell of old furniture as well as polished wood. Yet there was an undefinable scent that seemed to stick out more than the rest; like a copper or metal scent that was almost nauseating.

Fez and Eric shivered and tried to ignore the eerie feeling that overcame them. Hyde sighed and held Jackie close to him yet made sure she avoided his left side.

"We're okay." He breathed happily, Kelso grinned and nodded.

"See? Nothing to worry about." Dark glares were cast in his direction and he laughed quietly and backed away from his friends. Eric cleared his throat and raised his hand. Hyde slowly shifted his eyes toward his friend and stared at him incredulously.

"Put your hand down," he barked, Eric's face fell.

"But I-"

"Just talk, man." Eric sighed softly and waited until he had the attention of his closest friends.

"Okay, so we're here... and we don't really know what we're doing. So why don't we each pair up and tour the house, and then meet up here in like an hour or two?" He asked glancing over at Donna who nodded happily. Hyde shrugged and glanced over at Jackie who immediately squeezed his hand and Fez and Kelso wrapped their arms around each other. "O-kay" He nearly sang after staring awkwardly at the two men who seemed one step away from being lovers. "I think we have our pairs figured out..." Six nods ran over the group and he sighed shakily.

With the plans made, the three pairs turned and walked their separate ways. Each unaware of the darkness that had already fallen upon them, unaware that these would be their final hours of breathing. And within these hours, they would be faced with the horrors that haunted them from the past, scorned them throughout the years, formed them into who they are. They would be faced with their darkest fears, their unheard secrets, the inner demons that they battle through the day, and most of all the lies they tell themselves and every single person around them. They would be faced with truth, with the blatant reality that they were mortal; they're just as weak as me or you.

Each were unaware of the seventh person in the house who was breathing softly in the living room and soaking in their radiating fear. The reclining chair creaked softly and a blazing fire roared in the fireplace. In the hand of the silhouette was a fire poker that would have burned the flesh of any other human being. On the floor lay six sculpted wax carvings; perfectly formed into the shapes of the beauty, the fool, the geek, the foreigner, the feminist, and the misfit.

_I was there and I was ready; ready to watch them squirm on the floor as they helplessly tried to defend themselves. I was ready to hear their unheard pleas rumble throughout the house. I was ready to feel the warmth of their crimson life between my fingers. I was ready to watch them die. I was ready to make them face everything they shunned, blocked away to survive the day. And I was there to shove their ignorance down their throats, make them taste what they were trying so hard to forget and deny._

_I held the tallest wax sculpture in my hand and stabbed the fire poker through the back. I could almost hear the screams as I did so. Laughing softly, I stuck the poker above the tall roaring flames and watched as the grinning face of the fool began to bubble and melt all over the poker and sizzle as it dripped onto the logs._

_Michael Christopher Kelso was a means to an end; he was in my way. And he was going first. No wheel chair races for him._


	4. The Final Trial of Michael Kelso

_**The Final Trial of Michael Kelso**_

_They called him The King and the king he was. The crowned king of all ignorance and selfishness that plagued the rest of his friends. Yet they had grown used to his constant shallow and quite frankly useless demeanor, but not I. I had known exactly who he was the very first time I had set my eyes upon him. What with those movie-star good looks you would have thought he'd go somewhere in life. Yet he had rotted down to his core with his spoiled over-confidence and the half-brain he had told him everything was okay. Eric had been right to blame the dim-witted fool... it was his fault they were all going to die. Which is why Michael Kelso was going first._

Kelso's reassurance to everyone was that he was a cop and if anything bad happened then he'd be able to save them. But he was pretty useless without a gun and a flashlight; though he wasn't about to tell his friends that. Fez seemed to depend on his lawful authority as they quietly walked through the first level of the house in silence.

The oldest man of the group noted that Fez's courageous personality had died down as soon as they stepped foot into the home. Now he seemed to be shaking in his shoes and had turned three shades lighter out of fear as they tip-toed over the creaky floorboards.

"So where do we want to look?" Kelso finally asked, causing his best friend to jump in surprise. Fez laughed nervously and shrugged his shoulders with his eyes shifting from side to side as if he was looking for something.

"Let's go to the kitchen!" Fez finally chirped, then plastered a smile across his face. Kelso shrugged his shoulders and lead the way to the vacant kitchen. His nerves begin to kick in when noting the crimson colored walls and dark gray tile on the floor. He wondered why someone would want to have such a morbid looking house and finally decided that the people who used to live here were witches.

Kelso slammed the door to the cupboard shut as the dim lightbulb in his mind flickered momentarily. Bouncing up from his crouched position, a grin spread across his face.

"Fez! I got it!" He cried as his body wriggled with excitement. When Fez turned to him, Kelso continued. "The people who lived here were witches! Maybe we can find their stuff! Like-"

"A flying broom!" Fez interrupted as an amazed beam began to lift the corners of his lips. Kelso nodded vigorously and bounced on his heel impatiently for Fez to crawl out of the cupboard he had been investigating in. He could hear the shuffling of his legs and soft thuds as his friend turned his body to exit the large drawer. As if to tell Fez to hurry up, Kelso slammed his curled fist onto the counter top and sighed loudly. Which was countered by a shrill scream from Fez.

The twenty-one year old clambered out from under the sink and was squirming violently as if possessed by the devil. Kelso's jaw dropped when seeing a large hairy spider on his shoulder and cried out in surprise. Fez was hitting himself and spinning in circles to try to brush off the disgustingly huge arachnid. Kelso's eyes fell upon a wooden broom and quickly dashed to the opposite side of the kitchen; his feet slid on the sparkling linoleum as he did so. Raising the broom handle, he charged toward Fez and quickly ordered his hollering friend to turn around so he could brush off the spider. Yet instead of using the bristles to wipe it off of his shoulders, Kelso began to lower the broom repeatedly, like a hammer- for his amusement. He pinched his eyes closed and turned his head while he softly hit Fez's back over and over with the broom. He hadn't meant to hurt his friend, only find some entertainment for both of them; he figured Fez would laugh about it when they got home the next morning.

Kelso slowly opened one eye and turned his head. His lip trembled as he stared at the sink that Fez had been leaning against. But... Fez wasn't there. Kelso whimpered and dropped the handle to the broom; it came crashing down upon the floor with a loud thud.

"Fez?" The twenty-two year old called out with a trembling smile etched on his face. "I was just kidding... you can come out now," he whimpered nervously. He stood in the silent kitchen, waiting to hear a giggle or growl from his annoyed friend. But after what seemed like hours passed, there was no one but him in the entire house it seemed. It was too quiet, too creepy, and he wanted to go home. But first he had to find Fez.

_'He couldn't have gone far,'_ Kelso told himself as he began to walk out of the kitchen. He gulped deep breaths to try and calm himself as he crept into the living room. His eyes caught sight of a roaring fire in the fire place and he grinned.

"Fez, nice clue! I think I'm getting warmer!" Kelso chuckled at his word play then quickly scampered through the dark room towards the two bedrooms on the lower floor. Fez would be the one to try to scare him and end up jumping on one of the beds; Kelso knew that.

_But what Michael didn't know was that it wasn't a trick. It wasn't some clue that his closest friend had left for him. It was me and I had been sitting silently in the chair less than a foot away from him. But his naive self hadn't bothered to look around, his ignorance bled through him almost as much as the blood that would soon soak through his shirt. _

Kelso peeked his head into the first bedroom and smelled a light scent- like laundry soap. He sighed with relief after finding a room that didn't make him feel like he was choking on his breath and took a step in the white painted room. This had to be where Fez went.

His police officer instincts took over his immature mind and he started focusing on every little detail. He stared closely at the white sheets on the bed to see if he could see any indentations from a foot, or if he was lucky a foot print from the dust that layered the floor.

"The dust!" Kelso cried, spinning around to make sure his hypothesis was correct- and it was. He beamed smugly as he could finally tell his friends that his first inference as a cop had proved to be right. The layer of dust on the floor had created his foot prints throughout the room. So if _his _foot prints were visible, so were Fez's.

Kelso high-tailed it out of the room and fell to the ground; he couldn't see anything in the dark standing up. He began to crawl to the next room, his eyes lowered at the floor where the faintest of prints had been left. But before he opened the door to the second bedroom, a loud thump was heard from upstairs that caught his attention.

He craned his neck as he stared up the spiral staircase in curiosity. Kelso waited and waited to hear another thump, or any other signs that someone was upstairs. But he knew there were people there- Eric and Donna and Hyde and... Jackie.

"I got it!" Kelso cried as he heard a muffled giggle from upstairs. "Man Hyde is smart!" Kelso smirked as he hopped onto his feet and quickly climbed up the steps two at a time. His feet tripped as he reached the first landing, yet his hand quickly groped for the railing and he caught himself. Kelso decided to take the stairs slower now in case he did fall- he didn't want to end up breaking his leg.

As he reached the second floor, Kelso leaned against the railing and waited to hear anymore signs of life. He heard light foot steps pound on the hard wood floors so close to him.

"Fez?" He must have also heard the couple as they began one of their many love fests. Kelso jogged quickly to the hallway and looked down; there was no one there. The police officer grimaced and sighed softly.

_'Should I look for Fez, or Jackie and Hyde?'_ Kelso asked himself and furrowed his brow.

_There went his childish mind. One answer would prove his safety while the other would bring him to meet his fate- the end of his life that I would cause. It was his choice to make- carry on childish antics or face his mature duty as a man and as a police officer. It was his choice; to live or to die._

Kelso weighed the pros and cons of each. If he found Fez he wouldn't be alone and he could apologize for attacking him with the broom. They could leave the house and go find a restaurant or a movie theater or something. Then they could steal the wallet Eric always left in his car and scrounge enough money to buy a motel room and sleep there until the next day and come back as if they hadn't left at all.

But if he found Jackie and Hyde doing it- he could burn them so badly. He could either take their clothes or scare them or... or something. Of course, Hyde would be angry and would probably beat the crap out of him later but it would be totally worth it. Besides, if Fez heard them going at it like rabbits in the springtime he probably went to see if he could get a peep of the show; he was a perv!

He decided his best option was to find the happy couple in the midst of their own search and find. Kelso cupped his hand and placed it behind his ear- a tactic he had learned a long time ago that would help him hear better. Silently his feet crept forward as he listened for the slightest sound of movement, of anything. And finally he heard it- a very quiet moan.

Grinning toothily, Kelso ran down the hallway and listened to figure out which room they would be in. He pressed his ears to each door and listened for as long as five minutes, or it felt that way at least... he was never really good with time. By the third door on the opposite side of the hallway, he felt dejection begin to consume him. He couldn't find them and he couldn't find- his thoughts were interrupted as he heard quiet giggles and a low moan- from a guy. That had to be them!

Kelso's hand hovered over the door knob and it shook with the childish excitement that hadn't left his body since his witch theory. His witch theory... which he had abandoned because he didn't have Fez with him. But Fez would be in the room- he was a master at sneaking into rooms.

"Eric!" Kelso's jaw dropped and his eyes nearly bugged out of his sockets as he heard the name that had been cried. He shuddered in disgust and waved his hands in the air as he fought to maintain his composure. He was about to walk in on Eric and Donna having sex! The thought of that utterly repulsed him- they were like the old parents of the group and after hearing Eric talk about their lame romantic endeavors Kelso knew it would be just like walking in on his parents doing the deed and that sickened him. And he knew Fez wouldn't be in there either, they had talked about it. Fez had once said that he wouldn't watch Eric and Donna because "while Donna is gorgeous the thought of a scrawny little dude on top of her made him feel sick."

_'So where the hell is Fez? And Hyde and Jackie?'_ He knew the couple and his friend weren't up here. All of the rooms he had checked were silent and that was a sure sign they weren't "doing anything." The many times the gang had walked into the basement while Hyde and Jackie were in the throes of their romance he knew at least Jackie couldn't stay _that _quiet. _'Maybe they left! Jackie was scared earlier!'_ Kelso assumed and sighed heavily.

After figuring out where Jackie and Hyde went, he knew Fez wouldn't have gone without him. So his search to find his partner in crime was back in session.

"Fez? I'm sorry for hitting you... will you please come back out?" Kelso called as he trampled down the stairs once more. Each step he took down the stairs seemed to shake the old house and he sighed shakily. As he jumped onto the ground floor, the hairs on the back of his neck stood in apprehension.

It seemed darker. He wasn't sure what had happened since he had been upstairs, but he felt this odd sense of fear. Like someone had taken a needle and syringe and injected him with a heavy dosage of fear. Kelso could feel goose pimples raise on his arms and he shivered before rubbing his bare skin on his lower arms. It didn't help that the air seemed heavier than before either and a putrid smell of strong copper nearly stung his nose.

"Fez, come on out so we can go, okay? I'm really getting scared."

_Michael Kelso admitted he was scared. Another childish move that wouldn't help secure his feeble future. One more step in the wrong direction would send him into my web, into my clutches where I would rip him apart. I would skin him alive to make him see what was really on the inside of him. The truth hurts. This was the final trial of Michael Kelso, and he was about to lose it all._

Kelso's ears perked at a sudden thud heard from the bedroom he hadn't entered in the first floor. On the tips of his toes, Kelso silently walked to the door and grinned. He should have checked there first, of course Fez would be in there.

_The gavel rang loudly, declaring his final jurisdiction. Death. He ran right into my web and he was mine to feed upon. He was mine to hold as he bled to death in my arms, mine to scream as loudly as he could though his efforts at rescue would fall on deaf ears. Michael Kelso was mine. And I waited for the perfect moment to strike, to sink my teeth into the flawless flesh he claimed he possessed. _

Kelso turned the handle of the door and pulled it open. He coughed as the heavy copper odor filled his nostrils and he peered at the floor. Fez couldn't be in there because there were no footsteps. Raising his eyes, he felt his breath hitch in the back of his throat and his eyes widened in terror.

"Th-that's..." he trailed off, staring in disgust at the thick and dark liquid that wasn't just splattered on the white sheets. It soaked through ever corner of the top blanket and dripped in a large puddle on the wood floor. His stomach flipped and he covered his mouth with his hand as he fought off the nauseous waves.

_Tainted. The room was tainted with the innocence he had spoiled long ago. This was a reflection of his pig-headed antics as a teen and young adult. The blood of his innocence stained the room, splattered across the walls, and seemed to choke him. _

He didn't know why he did it. He knew that he should have just ran out of the room and to the front door where he could run and call the police. But he was the police! But he heard that thump again. And again. And again. Slowly, his neck turned to face his side and he felt a loud scream stick in the back of his throat.

Kelso backed against the wall but became paralyzed with the strongest sense of fear he had ever felt. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the silhouette that was so familiar to him that was right... there. He watched as the heel of the shoe hit the wall as the rest of the body swayed from the rope it hung from. He felt his throat burn with acid as he stared at the large hole that had once been a stomach... the insides were scattered across the floor like discarded clothes. And the vacant eyes of death were wide open and staring at him as if calling for him. To help, to run, to-

A cold hand pressed firmly on the back of his neck and Kelso screamed as loud as he could. Yet his shriek was unheard as a ball of cloth that reeked of the copper... of blood and a strong chemical filled his airways and he could feel himself slipping, slipping to a surreal oblivion. But that cold hand travelled down his back and lifted his KISS shirt. His final efforts to scream as a razor sharp blade sank through the soft flesh of his mid-back were unheard as he fell to the floor.

Michael Christopher Kelso-  
Guilty Conscience. Guilty Heart. Guilty Thoughts.  
Guilty.  
Breathes No more.

After all... he was a means to an end.

...

_I sat in front of the roaring fire, wiping my hands of the blood that I had shed. The blood that had tainted the souls of his friends, of his family, of himself and of me. How could I feel bad for what I had done when I had paid everyone a favor that they had asked for? He was a means to and end and he was in my way and finally I could move on to my next target._

_I held the blood-covered knife in my hands and I grinned. Raising my right arm, I threw the blade as hard as I could- the sound of it stabbing the wall and shaking to a stop were all I needed to hear. I have good aim- just like him. A laugh escaped my lips as I ran my thumb across the wax figurine in my hands and I sighed happily. Glancing up at the now still knife, my eyes fell upon the name that had been written in the blood of The King. _

_"Oops," I giggle, tossing the wax figure into the fire melting away as the blood dripped slowly down the wall, like tears. And many tears would be shed upon hearing of the death of this underdog hero._

_Eric Albert Forman was everyone's favorite boy and I despised him for that. And everyone would love him more as his perfect blood was spilled from his perfect body. Eric Albert Forman was mine. Fun Time is really over. _


	5. Fun Time Is Over

**_Hello all! This will be a quick author's note as I never write them on this story. I just wanted to let you all know that I finally have internet back and will be updating all my stories ASAP! :) Love you all and so sorry for the wait! 3_**

* * *

_Perfection is the biggest flaw of mankind. While it's never achieved, my toys were blinded by their minds convincing themselves that they were crafted with God's most handiwork; they were perfect. In my mind they were just as rotten as the souls that had decayed long ago within their bodies. _

_Yet he was the most blinded. I don't understand how a smart-mouth geek could think he was any where near perfection. Mommy dearest had told him he was the best in the world, she babied her spoiled son. Her words had permanently etched into his brain, convincing him that he was king of the world. His father on the other hand, had more common sense than his wife. He attempted to bring his son from his pedestal, but failed. _

_Now it was my turn. Eric Forman was in my hands, he was my newest experiment. I watched him like a predator, learned what made him tick. Even perfect beasts have a breaking point. And this time, I wouldn't let daddy dearest down. _

Eric's rise of rebellion and adrenaline was a cover. To mask the nerves ad apprehension of getting married in less than a week. It wasn't that he didn't want to get married- he loved Donna more than anything or anyone in the entire universe. He just hoped she felt the same.  
Eric watched as his friends, grouped in their favored pairs, had scattered throughout the abandoned house. He felt a gentle squeeze on his hand and gazed happily at Donna.

"So... here we are..." Eric chirped as a smile began to lift on his cheeks. Donna laughed quietly as she absentmindedly twirled his fingers between hers.

"Yep..." She trailed off, eyes glittering as she looked at him. Eric slowly raised his hand and cupped her cheek.

Never before had he felt so happy, so alive. He was having the time of his life- finally the whole gang was back together; although currently separated. And doing something stupid and moronic. Not only that, he was with the love of his life. There couldn't be anything better than this.

Every time his and Donna's lips met in such passionate kisses, Eric could feel his ache for her grow stronger. Since he had come back from Africa and they had gotten engaged once more, they had little time together. What with school, work, ad planning their marriage. Dammit, he was horny.

"What happened to my Twizzler?"Donna asked as she swiveled her hips against his. Her devilish smirk told him she knew exactly what she was doing.

"I was never a Twizzler! I was more of-" Donna captures his lips with hers and ran her smooth hands up his recently toned arms.

"Why don't we take this somewhere more private?" Eric finally suggested, running his hands down her back.  
"You mean... not the entry way?" Donna teased, he nodded and squeezed her hand tightly.

"Exactly." He grinned just then. His fiancee wrapped one leg around his waist as she circled her tongue furiously against his as they explored each others mouths. Much to her surprise, her soon to be husband lifted her off of the ground effortlessly; the year in Africa really paid off.

Nothing could take this happiness from him. Eric Forman was on top of the world, with the love of his life on top of him. He could face anything, as long as he had Donna with him. Together they were like the Jedi and The Force. They were destiny.

_But I'm destiny's counterpart here to burst his bubble. I'm here to take away what truly makes him life, breathe, love, and laugh. Donna is just a sliver, and I'm the infection. I'll pierce the perfect boy's heart and show him what he's really made of- cowardice and dependency. My name is Fate and I'm the only thing Eric Forman can't face. I'll work my magic and make him ache and scream... and die. He's in Fate's hands now. _

Eric felt his lust course through his body like tiny shocks electrocuting his body. Donna's skin was cool and smooth as his hands slipped under her blouse.

_Let the game of cat and mouse begin._

He stifled a moan as her hand teased the uncomfortable bulge in his jeans, and tried his hardest to keep his composure.

As his lips planted kisses from her jaw to her pale collar bone, an idea flickered through his mind. An idea that would make this ten times more romantic, and a hundred times more erotic.

"Donna... wait..." he breathed, trying to slow his pounding heart beat. As his fiancee left a trail of kisses down his body, he nearly gave up the composure to speak. Fate works in mysterious ways.

"W-wait, I finally have an idea," Eric finally stammered, voice squeaking. Donna laughed quietly and circled her thumbs against his belt buckle.  
"Me too..." she murmured with a sultry voice. Eric's mind was in sheer bliss as he watched her pull down his zipper with her teeth.

_'Oh God, I'm going to die...' _he thought, unable to look away from her devilish eyes.

"No... this will- be fun, I swear!" He squeaked, Donna cocked her eyebrows and sighed.  
"And this wouldn't be?" He laughed nervously and shook his head. His entire body felt hot.

"God... yes but... listen," he forced out form his vocal chords. "We should play a game." Donna bit back her incredulous laughter as she stared at Eric.

"A game?" She more stated than questioned.

"A sexy game. You go wait somewhere, and I'll go hide, but leave a trail of... clothes for you to find me. Like clues." Donna bit her lip and suppressed her chuckle.

"Like sexy hide and seek?" Eric nodded and she sighed softly. "I suppose it's better than being Leia, I guess. I'll wait here..." She finally gave up, much to Eric's beam. He watched as she seductively lowered herself on the bed and his throat ran dry. "How long do I wait?" She asked, taking slow deep breaths to tease her fiancee. He furrowed his eyebrows as he thought of a reasonable time. "Twenty minutes?" Donna shrugged her shoulders and threw her head back on the pillow.

"Okay..." she murmured in a sing-song voice while she twirled a strand of her auburn hair between her fingers.

"I love you," Eric whispered before running out of the room, tripping as he pulled his zipper of his jeans back up.

_Those would be the last words spoken from Eric Forman. The clumsy hormone-flooded fool wouldn't recognize the obvious signs of his demise if they were right in front of him. I'll show him what lust can really do to a person. Remember kids; love and lust are two very different things. And I manipulate the consequences of each. And for Mr. Perfect, they'd both have the same ending._

Eric silently tip-toed down the stairs in hopes that Donna wouldn't hear the wooden boards creak. Halfway down the dusty spiraled steps he slipped off a shoe and sock. Kelso had told him about this game, called "strip hide and seek." He told him it was a fun game to play- except if you lose your clothes.

At the bottom of the stairs, he kicked off the matching pair of shoe and sock. Once he took a step forward, he wrinkled his nose in disgust. The entire house reeked of iron. The smell reminded Eric of the hospital, and he wanted to gag. It was so overpowering that he felt dizzy and cold, as if he were about to fall over.

Glancing out one of the grimy windows, his stomach squirmed. The wiry branches from the trees outside cast horror shadows against the wall. Like wispy, skeleton fingers beckoning him closer and closer to wrap their spindly fingers around his neck. A cold chill suddenly ran down his spine, causing Eric to shudder.

_'I've seen creepier,'_ he attempted to convince himself, pulling off his t-shirt and throwing it on the floor. _'Like Hyde and Jackie, and Old Maine... or mom and dad... oh God...'_ he thought, suddenly growing even more queasy. Yet the sinking feeling in his stomach guided his conscience to scream at him to get Donna and get the hell out of this house.

_Know-it-alls never listen. Even if it's their conscience. Only the conscience is the most right thing in the world. Eric Forman was the most stubborn know-it-all and he needed to listen. Too bad daddy always told him to follow his gut and not his brain._

Eric's hand hovered on a dark door knob leading to one of the rooms. He quickly pulled his hand back when feeling a sticky substance. It was too dark to see even his own hand, and he wasn't about to smell it.

_'Fez was probably here, his hands are always sticky from candy...'_ Eric reasoned, wiping his hands on his jeans; they would be permanently stained.

Turning the knob, he entered the dark room. A faint light from the moon glowed through the dingy windows and Eric signed with relief. He quickly wriggled out of his jeans and tossed them in the doorway before loudly slamming the door.

An all too familiar high pitched shriek filled his ears. Eric's stomach reeled as the blood curdling scream abruptly stopped. Yet it's echoed rang through his min and the room as he fought off the strong waves of nausea.

_'It was probably just a cat... and if it was Jackie, Kelso probably just scared her. Yeah, that's it. And Hyde's punching him in the eye right about now,'_ Eric thought desperately in hopes that his own mind would help ease his paranoia. Instead of running like his conscience told him to, he slowly backed farther into the room.

Right before his eyes was his final sign, hanging by a thread. Yet his blind mind quickly looked over the conspicuous warning I had graced the genius with. But he was ignorant. Know-it-alls never heed warnings.

The scent of iron grew stronger as he stepped further into the room. He figured it was because of the old fashioned furniture that was still in the house. After all- it practically radiated from the dark coat rack in the corner.

His eyes lit up as he found a large wax candle on the beautifully crafted dark night stand. HE dug in his pocket for his lighter and flicked the wheel twice. Holding the flame to the blackened wick, he watched as the candle crackled. Bonus points from Donna.

_Look around, look around. Use your open eyes to see. See the death that surrounds you. The decaying flesh and the dried blood that's right in front of you. Eric Forman- the blind coward. I'm done wasting my time with you. There's no hope. _

Eric sighed heavily and lowered himself on to the small bed. The springs creaked under his weight and he smirked- there would be a lot of squeaking tonight. Damn his stupid game. He wanted her now.

The young man considered running back upstairs. To jump in the large bed and have his beautiful way with his gorgeous fiancee until the early morning. Until they left this creepy house. Yet the sound of footsteps slowly walking toward the door on the other side of the room he was in caused him to think twice.

He watched for feet under the door and his grin grew wider. His hints had worked well. Chest heaving with a heavy sigh of relief, Eric leaned back.

A strangled gasp escaped his lips as he felt it. The sharp blade stabbed in the very center of his neck, blinding his eyes and body. But only for a second. His sigh exhaled from his lips in a large, crimson bubble. Yet the smile on his face remained, with a glassy eyed stare toward the door.

_Only fools die with a smile._

* * *

_I flipped the tall wax figurine between my fingers before tossing it into the fire. The carved face of Eric Forman quickly melted, causing the embers to hiss. _

_In my lap lay my next play toy; my pet. My hands ran over the proud, feminine face before I dipped the entire figure into the bucket of spilled blood from my poor four sacrifices._

_Slowly raising the beauty from her entombment, I traced my fingers over the chest smiling sweetly at the words over her much desired breasts._

_**MINE.**_

_Donna Pinciotti should have learned to keep her hands to herself. _


	6. Off With Her Head

_She is the queen with the world wrapped around her finger. Her independence screams dependent and her role as the raging feminist was a lie seven feet long, six feet deep. Her views of life were scattered and contorted with the fact she was a pathological puppet. She was fake, as fake as the manipulative facade she carried strong on her shoulders. _

_She was weak, a phony, and it's about time to take off that pretty little mask. Donna Pinciotti was the queen of nothing. And to that, I say "Off with her head."_

Donna had stood up to peek at her lover as he quietly walked down the stairs. A small smile pulled at her lips and decided it would be best to let him have fun with his stupid game. As soon as Donna closed the door, an eerie sense of being watched consumed her. The darkness of the room didn't help, either. Sighing softly, the young woman slowly backed into the black and felt slightest temptation to hold her breath.

_'This house would be a good location for a horror movie,'_ Donna thought as she blindly felt her way to something to sit on, preferably a chair. Finally, she felt a mattress and slowly sat down. The sheets felt dingy, as if they were made from dust and grime. In her repulsion, the red head laced her hands on her lap.

Donna didn't know why Eric had decided to play the dumb game. They could be well on their way to explicit ecstasy now. Yet instead she was sitting, waiting for her soon-to-be husband to find a good 'hiding' place. She was probably the only one by herself and she was actually sort of scared. Then again, Kelso and Fez were probably terrified to the point of tears. And Jackie would be hiding in Hyde's self-sacrificing hold. To be honest, she was surprised Eric wasn't at least a little freaked out by them being in a stupid "haunted" house. But Africa had taken away his fears, and her dorky Twizzler. In his place was a stronger, brave man who would protect. Yet now he was hiding.

The squirming in her stomach as an effect of her white-hot lust had transformed into a piercing pang of paranoia. Donna didn't feel safe. The ache was so strong that she almost felt like throwing up. But she chose to ignore the creeping nausea and wait for twenty minutes to pass by.

But with every second that passed, every breath she took in grew heavier. Labored almost. Donna closed her eyes and breathed through her nose to try and calm her racing heart beat. It didn't help though, she just felt more suffocated.

Her pale skin felt as if it were ablaze, and her brown eyes stung like salt had absorbed into her pupils. Her lungs seemed to ache for the slightest amount of air even though she was gulping down the oxygen. Was this a panic attack, or was she going to pass out?

"Help!" Donna tried to speak, yet no sound cried from her throat. Her lungs were about to burst and her inhales proved helpless.

The room was spinning. Against Donna's will her eyes began to shut. A final scream attempted to crawl out of her throat, yet was silenced by a black gloved hand.

"Hold your breath," a voice sang to her the final words Donna heard before her world faded to black.

* * *

_Tonight the queen would be torn apart, piece by piece. Truth and honesty ripped from lies and deception. Her two faced hide would be turned inside out- for all of the world to see. The damned harlot now exposed for what she truly was. It's time to tear the queen from her high horse and throne, strip her of her beauty and dignity to cast her into exile and face her mortality. Donna Pinciotti was "to quoth the raven- nevermore." _

Donna's eyes fluttered open, only to be consumed in an even darker black. The air was now warm and stuffy, and was permeated with the deep scent of... trees? But she could breathe at least.

At that, the twenty-one year old took in the deepest breath she could muster. She smiled and cherished the fact her lungs could gorge themselves with oxygen. From her air deprivation, her torso still ached, yet it was a pain to remind her how lucky she was.

What confused her was the gloved hand. The smell of the leather nearly gagged her. But what she didn't know was if it had been real. She was at the brink of passing out and could have easily imagined being suffocated. And the voice that had followed... it was so familiar, but she couldn't put a name to it. _"Hold your breath"_ still echoed in her mind, and she shivered violently as an effect.

Donna yawned and sat up, only to bump her head. A sick sensation crawled like a parasite through her blood. Her eyes widened as her hand slowly moved to her side. Her choked sob was muffled as she felt the wood... now she recognized the smell; it was pine.

Raising the same hand, the red head shakily felt for what she had hit her head on; it was the top to her tomb. Nausea contorted her stomach as she felt the lid to the box she was trapped inside.

"Help!" Donna screamed as loud as she could. As a result, her throat burned. Someone had to hear her. "Somebody! Please help me!" Her shriek had melded with a hopeless plea clouded with tears.

Donna was claustrophobic.

_I could feel her fear pour out from the so called "box" that looked very similar to a perfectly crafted coffin- made by yours truly. Her cries sent laughter to erupt from my throat. Her agony caused me such joy. There's something about scared kill; it has a stronger taste._

Donna's breathing became erratic once more. Her terror began to seep from her every pore, to coat her body in a sheet of sweat and tears. While she always had control and a practical disposition, she was now in a pathetic frenzy.

Her fists pound heavily against the lid casing her in the tight fitting coffin. At first she thought she was high, but she had come down awhile ago. It would make sense if the guys played a prank on her- only they didn't carry around an old fashioned casket. And by now they would have let her out.

To think there was someone else walking in the house chilled her to the bone. They had to be completely out of their mind if they had put her in here. What if they found Eric, or her closest friends? She couldn't' let this happen to them either... but what could she do?

Donna bent her right leg and kicked the top board as hard as possible. If this was actually a coffin, then the lid would have opened from her brute force. Yet the board remained intact, encasing her in her tomb. This only scared her that much more.

"HELP!" Her scream was long, in hopes that someone would hear her desperate plea. "Please? Eric, somebody!" Her throat ached from the intensity of her shout.

Tears cascaded down her ashen cheeks, slowly soaking in her skin. Sweat had also begun to coat her brow. The air she breathed in felt hot, yet at least she could breathe. She was going to die in here.

Beyond despair, she decided on one last attempt of freeing herself before screaming her lungs out.

Donna's short jagged nails grazed over the inside of the lid. Suddenly she dug her nails and dragged them furiously over the wood. The sound and feel of her clawing nails made her feel even more disgusting. She was like an animal as she continued despite the throbbing pain and splinters piercing through her soft skin.

She stopped when the lid became slippery, casing her fingers to slide. Donna knew her own blood had begun to ooze freely, yet she didn't think it would hinder her.

In frustration, Donna slammed her fist and head on the bottom of the tomb. A shock of pain coursed through every nerve, causing her breath to hitch. There were tiny nails stabbing through the wood, and now into her skin. She had been laying on a bed of nails. And her head had been pierced.

She could taste the blood as it began to pool in her mouth. Donna was paralyzed; she couldn't move her head off of the nails. And if she could, she wouldn't be able to stand up. Donna was going to drown in her own blood.

As she breathed in, her throat constricted, causing a bubble of crimson to form. That bubble erupted in her mouth, sending a drool of blood to drip down the corner of her lips.

Donna's body tensed as a whirring sound filled her ears.

'_Oh God,'_ she thought, her stomach twisting in disgust.

Biting her lip, she closed her eyes and abruptly jerked her head off of the nails. Blood dripped down her shoulders, and she whimpered. She had to get out of here. Now.

Raising her arms, Donna pounded furiously against the corners of the lid, trying to see if there was a weak area. Her efforts proved pointless. Screaming in frustration she stomped her foot on edge and hoped it would help her fall or break through.

Donna was my favorite to play with. Her fiery personality mixed with her secret girlish antics made her caught in between two choices. To save herself or scream for help. Feminism seemed to be stronger, but her dependency was starting to leak through. If I didn't kill her, she would have killed herself. It's difficult having multiple personalities.

Donna shut her eyes to try and stop her tears yet they continued to fall. She couldn't believe she was about to die, and it was Kelso's fault. There was no one who could save her, she was completely alone. If Eric had stayed with her she would have been safe. If Eric would have been with her they could have left.

_Let's play the blame game. Name a person and pin your mistakes on them. Target the person you know will be the weakest. That was Donna's strongest game, if only Eric had asked to play that. She couldn't face her own wrong doings, she was better than that. Like her fiancee, in her eyes she was perfect. She could do no wrong. Except live._

_And I would be righting her wrong._

Donna's breathing was heavy as she felt herself being pushed; not mechanically. There was someone out there, someone was sending her to her death.

"Help!" She screamed, fighting off the urge to throw up. Her cries and tears stopped as she heard a quiet laugh from above. "Please... I don't want to die, somebody, ERIC! Help me!" She ignored the rising laughter and knew that if she were in the hands of this maniac monster, there was no hope for her.

"Here's payback, Lumberjack." Donna's eyes widened at the voice, so familiar. She couldn't believe it.

Just as the name crossed through her mind, she heard the roaring of a band saw growing closer and closer.  
"I'M SORRY!" Donna shouted, in hopes that it would get through to her killer. Yet her voice was engulfed by the loud machine that began to cut through the side of her coffin. "No, no, NO!"

Donna's pathetic, lingering scream of agony was silenced as the spiked blade of the saw began to rip through her side, splattering her dark blood every which way. Her limp head fell back once more, landing on the bed of nails.

* * *

_Sighing softly, I wiped my hands of the blood from the red head. After disposing of her, I had a new empowerment to my walk. Now I was making my mark. After getting rid of the kings and queen, I could move to the princess, the knight, and the jester. I stared at the three perfectly crafted wax carvings on my lap and quickly moved my index finger over each of them._

"_If he hollers let him pay, fifty dollars every day..." I sang quietly, giggling as I threw the middle carving to the ground; two choices left. "-told me to pick the very best one and you... are... it..." My eyes lit up as I held the small carving that my finger had landed on. Holding the partner, I kissed the head and set it on the table. "Don't worry," I whispered to the discarded sculpture, "You're next." _

_Turning my attention back to the chosen piece, my happiness spread through my body. This choice had given me a whole new excitement to this game I was playing. _

_Grabbing the blade I had thrown, I stabbed it through the wax, over the sternum. Red liquid spilled from the cracked figure and I wiped my stained hands on my face. _

_I watched as the broken wax doll melted into the wood in the fireplace after being engulfed by the large, roaring flames. _

"_Bye Bye, Burkhart," I whispered, eyes lit like wildfire. _


	7. Bye, Bye, Burkhart

_In her mind she was the princess; spoiled rotten who got whatever her heart desired simply because she was beautiful and rich. In reality she was fragile and insecure because mommy and daddy dearest never gave her a second thought. _

_I knew this. I knew all I needed to know about the spoiled little bitch the moment I saw her. She masked her lack of confidence with manipulation and acting as society's puppet. Just flash a smile, show a little breast, and buy the masses with daddy's credit card. Everyone was wrapped around her dainty, manicured fingers. Everyone except me._

_I saw right through her foundation-caked façade she wore; right to the rotted soul. She was disgusting and petty, with a voice like nails on a chalkboard. In her mind, she was the princess, in mine she was the wench; good for nothing unless in between the sheets. _

_It was time for her to meet the real world; to see reality. And reality was me. By the end of tonight, her act would be mine to own. I would be a better Jackie than she could ever hope to be. Prettier, too. Because, remember: beauty is on the inside. Too bad when she'd see the world without her ugly fortress she'd already be dead._

* * *

The air was bitter, quiet, and so thick with dust that Jackie could hardly breathe. Once everyone was separated into their pairs, she realized how scary this house was and how alone they really were. She didn't feel save, even though she was most likely the most protected of them all. Steven wouldn't let anything happen to her; the strong hold around her waist told her so.

But the look on his face, that look he couldn't hide rom her, showed that he was at least worried. Was there actually something to be afraid of? Ever since he had gotten back from wherever he had gone off to, he had been eerily quiet; not the normal "zen" quiet either, there was no zen whatsoever on his face.

Jackie squeezed Hyde's hand in order to calm him down and to reassure herself that he was there and she wasn't alone. This house gave her the creeps and watching her friends depart for their own adventures in the lofty building gave her the sinking fear that she'd never see them again. But at least she had Steven, and they'd all meet up later; she was just paranoid. If she didn't him, she wouldn't have the will to live. He was her rock.

Jakie's stomach squirmed uneasily and she winced in pain. She felt a light touch on her cheek and met the gaze of piercing ice blue pools. Her discomfort seemed to eradicate with his touch.

"Let's find someplace to sit, doll," Hyde whispered. Jackie relaxed even more at the endearment and nodded, allowing him to gently lead her to the front door.

"Outside?" She asked him curiously, he nodded and seemed to want to run out of the house as he closed the door. There was something wrong. Very, very wrong. "Baby, what is it?"

"We need to talk." He murmured in a monotone voice, sounding surreal even though he was so "zen" all the time.

No. He couldn't do this. Not with what she had to tell him.

"Steven, wait… please…?" she was practically pleading; she could already feel her heart starting to shred. Was she not good enough? Things had been good lately… no more than good; amazing. His fast pace came to a halt as he turned to her.

"Jackie. Get in the car." His voice sounded so icy it sent a chill down her spine. His eyes were dull; as if he were dead on the inside, and was simply a vacant vessel. What happened while he was gone for that short amount of time?

The petite raven-haired girl breathed a shaky sigh and reluctantly walks to the passenger door of the Vista Cruiser. As she waited for her boyfriend to unlock the driver's side door, she heard a slight rustling in the brush behind her. Jackie turned her head to the shrubbery and stared at it for a minute; why was she holding her breath?

Suddenly a searing pain shot through her ankle; it felt as if someone had branded her skin. Jackie gasped and fell against the door; tears burned her eyes yet she willed them not to fall; she was stronger than that. She heard the hood pop as Hyde's foot stomped down on the metal to jump over to her side in what seemed like a millisecond.

"Jesus Christ… Jacks…" His face was paler than she had ever seen; what happened? Her mismatched eyes glanced at his hands. Was that blood? Was he bleeding?

"Steven…" She whimpered, wrapping her arms around his neck. He quickly opened the backseat door and laid her down.

"Listen, just… don't scream." Wait. What?

"Steven what are you talk-?"

He covered her mouth as a blood curdling scream erupted from her throat. His pocket knife pressed against her ankle, but it was burning. Why was it burning? All she saw was white and all she felt was heat as tears forced their way through her pinched eyes.

As the pain began to recede, Jackie could hear his voice, the vulnerable voice he only used with her, repeating "I'm so sorry," over and over. What was he sorry about? What had he done? Slowly, she opened her eyes and felt her stomach clench with nausea.

He was covered in blood.

_Play right into my trap. The pieces were falling into place and soon everything would be set in stone. The wheels of suspicion were beginning to spin, and I would have a scapegoat. With a vacant mind like the princess's, she would believe anything and everything; she'd even believe her boyfriend was to blame for a massacre. Soon I'd have her right where I want her and she would trust me until the end. _

"Steven… are you bleeding?" She asked, voice hoarse. The blonde shook his head and locked his eyes with hers.

"Jackie… just forget about it. We're fine." Jackie crossed her arms, even that movement felt sluggish. She shouldn't be this tired. "Why don't we just go-"

"And leave our friends here?" She asked, "I want to go home so badly, but we're not leaving them here. What if they get hurt and need us?" Hyde sighed heavily and scrubbed a hand through his hair.

"Jackie, I just want to get you safe. I want to talk to you."

"Safe from what?" She interrogated, feeling another wave of nausea wash over her. She couldn't get sick now.

"I don't… just trust me, okay? This isn't even what I…" he trailed off, shaking his head. "You need to rest," he advised, causing her to scoff.

"Steven, I'm scared. How the hell can I rest when all I want to do is run?" She flinched as his hand ran through her hair. He recoiled at her sharp movement and even she was in shock; she had never so much as winced at any touch.

"I don't know."

That was the final straw. With a sudden burst of adrenaline, she practically flew out of the car. Jackie heard Hyde cry out to her to stop, and suddenly fell forward on her face. She couldn't walk… she couldn't feel her foot. Her eyes glanced down her leg and screamed in horror; her right foot was gone, laying five feet away from her.

The shriek was cut off by someone yanking her in a standing position by her long hair. Her body was slammed against the car once again, and a knife pierced her face, slicing from her eyelid down to her chin.

"Steven…" she whimpered, unable to even cry as the knife slashed against her neck and chest. Her body was numb as she crumpled against the ground.

Jackie couldn't move, her eyes stared straight as she watched Hyde bite his lip then run through the yard as he searched through his pockets. The last thing she heard him say was, "I promise I'll find out who this bastard is." The tall silhouette began to approach her once again. She stifled a shriek as she caught the silver glint of a blade reflect from the bright moon.

"Steven!" The twenty year old woman cried, her voice ringing through the air. She knew he wasn't going to let her die. Her heart pounded heavily in her head and nearly jumped out of her chest as she watched, paralyzed as the man raised his knife. Jackie braced herself for the crippling pain that would consume her body, and closed her eyes.

She heard Steven cry out, his heavy footsteps from his boots echoed through her mind. The curly haired man grabbed her assaulter and smashed their head against the car.

The first person took a swing at him, who narrowly missed the blow and hurled them to the ground; the first thing done was he removed the mask covering the face.

Jackie couldn't believe it. This couldn't be possible.

_I felt her stricken gaze on me and slowly turned. Grinning preciously, I waved and went back to the kill. I knew her weakest point; I knew what would make her die and let me take her life. Only I wouldn't be the one to end it. _

Jackie lunged toward her boyfriend and the unmasked attacker, trying to stop the inevitable. She flinched as she heard the sound of the large blade perforate through skin; yet she couldn't feel anything. Opening her eyes, she screamed as the blade came down once again...

A scream tightened in her throat as she witnessed the blade sink into Hyde's chest. The horror and shock in his bare eyes was more emotion than she or anyone would ever see from the young man.

"_NO!" She screamed as I pulled the blade from his body. Blood poured from the perforation and his breath gurgled; a bubble of crimson was his last exhale. I smiled sweetly and popped it before stabbing his abdomen; his left lung, to be precise. With a feeble twitch and jerk; his body went still. I would never tire of that feeling. _

Jackie leapt forward and pounced on the assailant; she used her nails, teeth, hands, feet, anything that would cause harm. Blood dotted her face and hands as she continued to beat the relentless person against the ground. Instead of a cry of pain; all she heard was laughter.

"You sick fuck," She hissed, reaching for the blade left unattended on the ground. Her face was a mess of blood and tears as she fought for dominance, yet failed as she was pinned on the ground, next to her fallen lover.

"Reach into his pocket," she heard the whisper, sharp against her ears. Just like the blade. "DO IT!"

Jackie shook her head and didn't even shout as the blade pierced her stomach.

"_You know he had something to say… you know he was ready to tell you something. And what did you have to tell him, doll? You were carrying his child. The poor little bastard." Jackie laughed sharply and struggled to break free from my grasp. "But I'm not going to kill you; that'd be too easy. You had it right all along; this place is no good, after all!" I shrieked in a voice that nearly matched hers. _

"_Just reach into his pocket, dearie. You'll see what he wanted to say all along." _

As her heartbeat grew louder in her head and her body felt heavier and heavier, Jackie slowly obeyed. Her fingers touched the denim of his jeans and her eyes widened. She pulled out a small black box from his pocket and felt a rush of emotion, illness flow through her veins, taking away her will to live.

"Open it."

"Go to hell." Jackie spat, "I'm dead anyway."

_I laughed at her poor attempt at an insult and caressed her hair. She quickly turned her head away from me and I shook my head._

"_You look just like you should, now… you deserve all of this and more. You knew you'd never have happiness, you knew you didn't deserve the life you dreamed of, which is why it was nothing but a dream. Now, I'm giving you an opportunity here. You can either live your life looking like you do now and being a freak in society-"_

"_Like you?"_

"_Or you can end it now. Be with your precious Stevie." Her eyes flashed with emotion at the mention of the man who lay still beside her. "Your choice."_

Jackie took a deep breath and watched as the gloved hand offered the blood-stained knife. The black-haired girl felt a sob catch in her throat as she took the weapon. When she said she wanted a love like Romeo and Juliet, she didn't mean how it ended. But now that seemed her wish had come true; right to a T.

"No." She whispered suddenly, glancing up at the newly masked person with one eye. "I won't do it, I won't do what you want me to. I don't care if I live or die, but I will not let you win. If I die, it's on my terms. Not yours."

_So persistent. So greedy. Everything was always how she wanted it; there was no way to avoid it. The princess was showing every ounce of her spoiled personality even as she breathed her last shallow breaths. Even though it would be what she wanted; the satisfaction of her death on my hands seemed right. _

_She made no sound as I snapped her neck._

* * *

_I sat in the chair with the notepad and pencil in my hand, and a bloody foot on my lap. Six names had been written, and four were crossed off; the last two that remained were the ones I was looking forward to most. The fifth name was circled and I held the wax doll in my hand. I flipped the miniature look-a-like over in my hands, then took the small braided rope and tightened it around the neck. Hanging the doll from the arm rest on the chair, I sighed and watched it swing back and forth, as I stroked the cold, dead foot. _

_Now that the princess was gone, the knight would have no one to protect. No one to care or be cared for; leaving him vulnerable and easy to torment. Bye, bye, Burkhart, hello Jekyll and Hyde._

* * *

**_Author's Note:_**

**_I apologize if this chapter was horrible. I really don't know how I feel about it. I've read over it... it seems very fast-paced. I hope it's good, I just don't know. To me it's not, but it has the potential to be good. But I kind of like it too, I don't think it's good but I like it. So..._**

**_And I know it may have seemed really confusing. But don't worry. It'll make sense in the end. _**

**_And if you're wondering, Hyde did not cut off her foot. He cauterized it. She also lost her left eye... who ever said I was a nice person? :P_**


	8. The Curious Case of Steven Hyde

_I knew a boy once. I knew a boy with a heart of stone and hidden eyes. This boy turned into a man of apathy and loneliness. I understood that very well. Paranoia and lack of trust in society made him one of the most respectable people I knew. He was also going to be my toughest piece to play, which is why I saved him until nearly the end. Steven Hyde's faults and weaknesses were exactly how I'd execute him. He didn't think anyone could see or understand the heart of stone or shaded eyes but I knew. I knew much more than he ever wanted anyone to know and I would use this to my advantage. Steven Hyde; the selfless knight, the aloof conspiracy theorist, too headstrong and impulsive had always thought these were his faults. But I knew better. His fault was simply this; underneath the stone surface, a heart was beating. And I'd cut it right out. Steven Hyde was stuck in my trap and there was no way out. And he knew this._

_Check._

"Why don't we all split up, take a look around, and meet back here in a couple of hours?"

As soon as Hyde had heard that suggestion, he knew it was a load of bull. Forman just wanted to get laid in a creepy house to spice up the sex life he always complained about; everyone knew it. To make matters worse, Kelso and Fez agreed; he only knew that meant trouble. While Eric and Donna would come back with tousled clothes and hair twenty minutes later, the two doofuses slapping each other would most likely get lost.

Yet this meant he and Jackie could have some alone time.

"Sounds good!" Kelso cried, then dragged a whimpering Fez along. Eric smirked and gave a nod to Hyde, then walked up the stairs with Donna. Hyde rolled his eyes then squeezed the small, warm hand that had found his for comfort.

"C'mon, Doll… this could be fun." Jackie gave him a blank stare and he remained silent for a moment. He knew exactly what she was thinking and honestly he didn't wan to make her angry. "Or we could just-"

"Steven, I don't want to be here." The raven-haired girl blurted finally; her mismatched eyes had a stricken look of fear and he smiled reassuringly.

"Jacks… it'll be fine. We'll be fine, it's just a shit hole for a house and we'll be out of here in a couple of hours once Kelso burns off the whole idea of this being fun." Hyde replied, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"And… I need to tell you something." She whispered, he felt a twinge of worry in his heart and he grimaced.

"Okay, c'mon." He led her down a short corridor and into the dust-covered living room. A fire roared in the fireplace and he shook his head; Kelso and Fez had already been here, who knew what they had done. On top of the scent of firewood, a heavy rust smell filled the room; it made Hyde's stomach churn. It smelled like blood.

The couple sat down on the loveseat by the fire and Jackie curled up in his arms. Hyde kept his protective arm around her and traced lines and letters onto her soft skin. She shivered and giggled quietly before burrowing deeper against him.

He didn't understand how this could be scary, but he knew that she was scared nonetheless. Irrational fears put aside, he promised himself he'd always protect her. Even if it was from a bump in the night.

"Steven, there's something I need to tell you. And I don't want you to be mad but it's really important." There was another squirm in his stomach and he sighed heavily. This could be one of many things and although the tone in her voice had him worried, he wouldn't allow it to get to him.

"Okay…" he trailed off, rubbing his thumb over the soft skin of the hand that fit against his so well.

"I don't know how to say thi- what was that?" Jackie asked as a blood-curdling scream filled the nearly silent air. Hyde felt a chill run through his body; that shriek sounded familiar. But he wouldn't let his mind go there; this was just the paranoia talking. It wasn't Donna; she was upstairs with Forman doing whatever it was they were doing… he considered that anyone who did it with the 21-year-old student teacher would make a sound like that, and chuckled.

"Probably Donna." Hyde replied with a joking tone in his voice. Jackie rolled her eyes and let go of his hand.

"Steven, I'm serious. I'm scared… that sounded like a person. " Hyde sighed heavily and hesitantly stood up.

"Okay, okay I'll check it out if you're that worried." Jackie smiled happily up at him and nodded.

"Be careful though." Hyde snorted and rolled his eyes when his back was turned to her; there was nothing to be afraid of here at all. It was all in her head.

A loud bang caused the 21-year-old man to peer down the hallway. His senses were on overdrive, be it from caution or nerves, and the sense of impending doom began to grow with each passing second in the house. He shook his head; that was just the paranoia.

"Jackie… stay here, alright?" Hyde more commanded rather than asked. She gave him a blank stare as her hands pressed against her flat stomach.

"Where else would I go?" She asked him with a teasing tone in her voice. "Unless we all just decided to leave this house… or go to the car at least." Hyde considered this. They could all just get the hell out of dodge and then get wasted. That sounded better than staying in a foul smelling, dust-filled abandoned house.

"Hold on…" He simply replied. His fingers gripped his pocket knife out of instinct and he began to walk down the hall. He coughed due to the thickness of the dust and then brushed away an old spider web. Hyde chuckled at himself for his nerves raising as he continued walking down the corridor. Yet his smile faded as he caught sight of a door handle. A dark stain in the shape of a hand coated the brass knob and he felt a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

The house smelled heavy of iron. There was a scream. There was blood on the door handle. This wasn't paranoia talking anymore, this was logic. And logic was screaming at him to go to Jackie and run like hell. But what countered logic was a heavy dose of curiosity.

_I could see the workings of his mind whirring as pieces came together. I smiled happily as his hand turned the bloodied handle; curiosity killed the cat. He would be the one to figure out what kind of game they were playing; the kind where everybody loses. As someone who has never won in his life, giving up wasn't so difficult for him. But he was smart. I needed his brain and lack of self anything as my final plays. I wanted him to know. He needed to know. It was a doppelganger of sorts._

As Hyde opened the door, he began to cough harshly. The scent of blood was potent to his nose and he felt as if he were going to be sick. A quiet drip was heard every two seconds; it seemed as if it were timed. The young man took the lighter from his pocket and flicked it; he automatically wished he hadn't.

"Jesus Christ." He whispered, his stomach twisted with nausea that he was finding hard to keep down. He stared into vacant blue eyes that stared into his and he couldn't breathe. Blood stained the pale skin of the body in front of him as it slowly turned in a circle because of the noose around the broken neck. Hyde pressed his hand to his own neck and quickly drew his hand back in horror; he knew it wasn't broken… but why did it feel that way?

His eyes locked on the area where the stomach had once been. A large hole the size of his abdominal region allowed him to see all the way through the body; they had been disemboweled. That's when realization hit him; it wasn't a noose this person was attached to.

Hyde took a heavy breath and looked back at the all-too familiar face. The face of his own.

_He was empty on the inside. He was heartless. He was nothing without the most vital pieces of his life and he took everything and everyone for granted. I watched with satisfaction as these thoughts ran from his mind, over his face as he was suddenly washed over with emotion. Each of his layers were slowly beginning to peel away. By the end of tonight, he would be the one to face himself, and that's something I knew he wouldn't be able to do._

Hyde swallowed back the acidic taste creeping into his throat as he stared through the torso of his doppelganger. There was no way this could be possible; he didn't have a twin… someone had to have made a plastic version of him. Yet as he touched the skin it felt just like skin should; only far too cold and stiff. He pulled his hand away and repressed the urge to vomit.

He had to get Jackie out of here.

There had been a just cause for her fear and his nervousness, after all. They weren't just dealing with a potential Kelso prank. This was far beyond serious and insane; this was the stuff horror movies were made of; only this was real and they all needed to get out as soon as they could.

Hyde hurried into the dimly lit living room and took Jackie's hand. She tilted her head curiously, she probably saw his apprehension, and he sighed.

"Let's find someplace to sit, doll," Hyde whispered, squeezing her hand as she laced their fingers together. The worry on her face as he led them to the front door made him hesitate. He had to do this; he had to get them out of here.

"Outside?" She asked him, he nodded and tried his hardest to not run out of the house with her in tow. He always had a kind of sixth sense, he could call it, and he felt that something terrible was soon to happen if they didn't get out of the house. He wasn't going to let anything happen to her. "Baby, what is it?"

"We need to talk." He murmured in a monotone voice. Hyde had to keep the zen; he didn't want her to know he was worried. But the stricken expression on her face told him she was terrified for all the wrong reasons.

"Steven, wait… please…?" The plea in Jackie's voice caused the hair on the back of his neck to rise. He couldn't let her get hurt; instead of answering, he squeezed her hand and hurried out of the house. The Vista Cruiser was so close and the spare keys Forman had given him seemed to burn in his pocket.

"Jackie. Get in the car." Hyde didn't mean to sound so cruel. He'd explain everything to her. He would get her safe, no matter what it took.

He watched with hard eyes as she waited by the passenger door. He fumbled to unlock his own to let her inside; he needed to calm down. As the lock clicked, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind Jackie yet the night was still. A sick feeling ran down his spine and he bit his lip. No way was he letting her get hurt.

But he was too late. The blood curdling scream from his girlfriend as she fell to the ground told him that. Hyde felt all the blood run from his face and he leapt over the hood of the car. His body slammed against the surface and then he was on the earth beside her as if he had been there all along.

"Jesus Christ… Jacks…" he tried to remain calm as he stared at her ankle… her left foot was gone. He couldn't let himself think of what had happened or how much pain she was feeling. He had to stop it. He had to help her… he had already failed at protecting her now he just had to make it better… she would never forgive him. He was ready for that.

"Steven…" She whimpered, wrapping her arms around his neck as Hyde lifted her. He kissed her hair and hushed her as sobs wracked her body. He felt his own eyes sting as he opened the backseat door. Laying her down, bent low so he was looking at the leg bleeding profusely..

"Listen, just… don't scream." He saw her try to sit up but couldn't due to the overwhelming pain shooting through her body.

"Steven what are you talk-?"

Hyde's hand shook as he flicked open his Zippo lighter. He held the flame over his pocket knife and closed his eyes as he felt the entire blade heat up beneath his fingers. He had to do this for her… otherwise it could get infected. He hoped she would understand.

Hyde covered her mouth with his left hand and held his breath as he pressed the red-hot blade against the amputated ankle. He could feel her scream vibrate through his hand and he felt liquid leak from his eyes… this was him hurting her. He promised he never would again. He was the one causing her all of this pain. Her body tensed beneath him as he pressed the smooth side of the blade harder against her ankle… he had to cauterize it. It would be the only thing he could do until they got the hell out of here.

"I'm so sorry, Jackie…" he whispered, flipping the blade back and pocketing the knife once the metal cooled to silver once more. "I'm so sorry." He repeated over and over, knowing she would never forgive him.

"Steven… are you bleeding?" Jackie asked weakly, her eyes held more pain than he had ever seen anyone contain. He shook his head slowly and reached out for her hand yet she pulled away.

"Jackie… just forget about it. We're fine." Jackie crossed her arms. "Why don't we just go-"

"And leave our friends here?" She asked, "I want to go home so badly, but we're not leaving them here. What if they get hurt and need us?" Hyde sighed heavily and scrubbed a hand through his hair.

"Jackie, I just want to get you safe. I want to talk to you."

"Safe from what?" She interrogated, Hyde felt nausea contort his insides and he exhaled deeply. He couldn't answer that. Not yet. Not until they were safe.

"I don't… just trust me, okay? This isn't even what I…" he trailed off, shaking his head. "You need to rest," he advised, causing her to scoff.

"Steven, I'm scared. How the hell can I rest when all I want to do is run?" He felt her flinch as he ran his hand through her hair. He recoiled at her sharp movement in fear that he had hurt her even more; she never winced from his touch.

"I don't know."

Suddenly Jackie swung out of the laying position and tried to run from the car. Hyde, on the ground with the wind knocked out of him from her kicking his stomach, cried out for her to stop. Watching her fall to the ground because of the loss of her foot. Her piercing cry as she saw the cauterized skin almost made his heart stop; yet the body behind her was what got him.

"JACKIE!" He shouted in warning, trying to catch his breath and stand at the same time. As he rushed to her, he was once again too late; the masked person grabbed her long black hair and pinned her against the car. He felt his body stiffen as they sliced her face…. No. he had to stop it. Why couldn't he move?

"Steven…"

That was the final straw. The fear in her voice was what brought him out of his paralyzed state. With his jaw clenched he charged at the person as they tossed Jackie to the ground and raised the knife in their hands. With as much force as he could muster, Hyde barreled into the assaulter and knocked the two of them on the ground. He reached into his pocket and flicked his switchblade open; he hoped Jackie could get away. He wanted her safe… he didn't want her to see what was going to happen.

Hyde ripped off the mask and felt his entire body run cold. His eyes widened as he stared into the hazel eyes he had never taken so much as a thought to even think about. This couldn't be happening.

_And before he knew it, he was about to be taken out. I could see the shock in his eyes; I knew that especially right now he was vulnerable. It was my chance to make my move. He wouldn't see it coming, anyway. I felt his body tense above mine as I pierced my blade right in his heart. His eyes widened in horror and I felt his blood spill down my fingers, on my face, and soaking in my fingers as I began to stab him over and over again. One last slice across his neck and he fell limp on top of me. _

_Easier done than said._

* * *

Hyde could feel the blood dripping down his throat, into his body, completely drowning him. He found it difficult to breathe as he tried to hold the gash on his throat shut. He didn't know if he'd ever be able to talk again. He didn't want to find out just yet. With his body shaking as if an electric current were running through him, Hyde slowly stood up and faced the attacker.

But a crumpled body caught his line of sight and he faltered. Black hair was scattered over tan arms as the small young woman lay face down. He wanted to check for a sign of life, wanted to rush her to the hospital but he had a feeling he was much too late. The cauterized skin of her ankle where her foot had once been was a reminder of that. He couldn't stand to see the unnatural twist in her neck….

He forced himself to turn away and felt his chest heave as he took in as much air as he could; his lungs were still screaming for oxygen even as he exhaled.

"Oh, bummer, I thought you were down for the count." Hyde felt his blood boil at the sound of the familiar voice.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just rip your head off now?" he whispered, voice gurgling with blood pooling in his throat. He swallowed the iron-tasting liquid and let go of his neck.

"Ooh, feisty, I like that!" Hyde's eyes reflected the pain he wouldn't bring himself to show as he glared at the blonde in front of him. His every muscle ached as he fought against an invisible weight against him yet he slowly stood and faced the murderer.

"You're psychotic," he whispered, his hand shaking violently as he reached in his pocket for his knife. "We were done with you a long time ago."  
"So you thought… well guess what, Steven? I'm back!"

Hyde felt no mercy as he lunged toward the tall person. His knife pierced into the hollow of their shoulder and he heard a scream of pain. For all the pain this monster had caused Jackie, he would bring more fury than they could ever deem imaginable.

"_Y-you saw the noose," I gasped as he raised the knife above his head. I was vulnerable. I had known this part wouldn't be easy. He still kept the blade above him yet his attention was on me now. "You're wondering how that could be…who that could be…"_

"I'd rather not know who you got roped into your scheme, you sick fuck," He hissed, his hand aching as he fought against stabbing the person below him one last time. "You killed my girlfriend, and God only knows what the hell you did with my friends, I knew I shouldn't have…" He couldn't finish his sentence.

_I grinned._

_"Trusted me? Oh, Stevie, you trusted me?"_

_"DON'T call me that!" He shouted, shaking the body below him. _

_"How are you even still alive?" I found myself asking as I watched blood stream down his neck. He grinned malevolently._

_"You just didn't do a good job." _

_"Or… maybe I meant for this to happen. You can come in handy, and then… in the end, you'll still die… too bad, puppet." _

Hyde bared his teeth and slammed the knife into the skin already covered with blood… he didn't think it was just their own.

_Yet I had the advantage. As he came down, I grabbed his neck and pinched a small spot that I knew so well; the jugular. His eyes glazed over and in moments, he collapsed. I smiled and hummed happily as I stood up once more._

_Check mate. _

* * *

_The fire roared in the living room as I sat on the chair. I could feel myself growing weaker yet I would be fine; the body hanging had been replaced and I smiled as I peeled away the face mold I had made of dear Steven Hyde. As the mask tore away, I placed my hand on the chest of my only unfortunate victim; they had done nothing wrong._

_"I'm sorry, Bud. You'll get your justice soon… it's what you would want." I whispered, kissing the cold cheek. _

_I picked up my final wax carving and stared at it in curiosity. Oh, what would I do with you, Fez? I laughed heartily as I picked up the wax figure and broke it in half. And now the truth comes out._

* * *

**_Author's Note:_**

**_Okay, so I updated a little later and I decided I'm going to update 1 or 2 at a time per week until Halloween. Hopefully it'll be done by then, I can't make promises because my life is so chaotic right now, but I will try my best._**

**_So... does that help the confusion? ...or not. Well, keep your guesses coming. You find out who "Narrator" is next chapter. And no, it's not the final chapter, either. :) I'm not done just yet. _**

**_-AR_**


	9. Let the Games Begin

_Fez. My Fez. Everything was done for him. He has to understand that. I did this for him, for us, so no one could tear us apart. I needed the pawns out of the game so I could make my mark, make him know that I am the only one he needs in his life. I am the only one that matters. My heart belongs to him. That redheaded Amazon stole him away from me, that tiny little harlot had taken his eyes away from me and on her used-up body. The king, the bishop, and the knight were a means of distraction; they kept him away from me. They thought they knew what was best but all they did was take him away from the person I knew he was. And now I would show him that tonight. I could show him how beautiful our lives could be together. And if he didn't see it my way, then we would die together._

Fez woke up with a throbbing headache worse than the worst hangover of his life. He rubbed his eyes and yawned loudly then looked around. He was hoping that everything had been a dream and he would wake up in the apartment he shared with his soon-to-be girlfriend Laurie… but to his surprise he was in an old bed that smelled like his host-mother's cheap perfume and mothballs combined. It was horrible.

"Guys!" He called, his voice sounded so loud to him. The air was thick with a horrible stench and clouded with dust. He coughed and sluggishly carried himself out of the small room he didn't remember ever entering.

"Kelso?" Fez asked, walking down the old, creaky stairs. He waited a few moments to call his best friend's name again. Everything felt weird. He didn't hear anyone talking, or moving around, and it was starting to scare him. But they would make fun of him for being scared- even though he knew Eric was probably just as afraid as him. "Kelso where are you?!" He cried, walking into the kitchen where his tall friend had killed a spider for him; that was true friendship. But he wasn't in there, and he wasn't in the dining room. In fact… no one was anywhere.

"Hyde…? Jackie…?" He asked, his voice fading to a whimper. He heard the crackling of a fire in the living room and decided maybe someone had fallen asleep in there. That would make sense because it was freezing in this house.

It was a horrible decision to come here. He should have said no because Jackie didn't to either. Maybe they could have convinced everyone to do something else… like go dancing or go to a movie. Sure, it wasn't as thrilling as going to an abandoned house, but there was a fine line between adventure and scary-time.

Fez felt his stomach and jaw drop in horror as he stared at the body in front of the fire. Why was Hyde's father-but-not-father here? Hyde wouldn't have called him… did he own the house?

"Excuse me, Mr. Hyde, but what are you doing here?" He asked, approaching the unmoving body. "Mr. Hyde…?" He called, quieter this time as he poked the arm. He shrieked in alarm and terror as the stiff body rolled over at the lightest touch. Fez couldn't move or speak as he gaped at the large hole where the older man's stomach should have been, and found glassy eyes boring into his own.

"Oh my Jorba Linda… guys there's a dead body!" He screamed as his body wracked with fear-induced trembles. "Oh what do I do, what do I do…? Kelso?! Eric? Hyde?! Where are you?!"

"They're not here anymore."

The small young man's near-hyperventilating breath stopped in mid-inhale as he heard the all too familiar voice from behind him.  
"What the hell are you doing here?" He asked slowly, fear beginning to course through his blood as he stared at the back of the blonde head. "And what do you mean by that, you crazy b-?"

"I am NOT crazy." Fez's eyebrows raised in disbelief at the outburst and even scoffed.

"Right and I am not a direct descendant of-" The dark-toned boy stopped himself and shook his head. "No, don't do that, you always do that. What did you mean by saying they're not here anymore?" He asked as he tried his hardest to ignore his conscience, which screamed at him to run away from here as fast as possible.

"I meant exactly what I said," the voice was a whisper as the person stood up to face him. Fez whimpered as he caught sight of the hazel eyes that he had been relieved to think of never seeing again.

"Caroline. What did you do to my friends?" He asked, voice sounding much braver and scarier than he thought could be possible. Her eyes lit up as he spoke her name, and she took a step toward him. He backed away from her.

"They took you away from me. They made you believe things that weren't true. They made you one of them; but Fez, you don't need them. So I took you away from them. They won't bother you anymore. They won't trick you or hurt you anymore. It was always me who cared about you the most, when they-"  
"THEY ARE MY BEST FRIENDS, CAROLINE! You are NOTHING to me!" He screamed, tears streaming down his face as he held back violent sobs of anger that he wouldn't let show. This was a side of him he had never permitted to show. "How psychotic are you to actually think that after four years I still have feelings for you?"  
"But you do, Fez… I see it in your eyes. I see the way you look at me. That crazed passion that you only get when you're with me… I love you, and we are meant to be together forever… alone."

"NO!" He bellowed, clenching his fists and hitting them against his sides. "The way I look at you is in pity, I feel nothing but sad for you! And now that's even harder to feel. What did you do to my friends?!"

_I stared at the brown eyes that held so much love and passion for his friends. He would never look at me like that again. He would never look at me like that at all. But if I can't have him, then no one can._

_"I made them go away."_

"Caroline. What. Did. You. Do?!" Fez cried as desperation clawed at his every being. He wasn't the hero of the group… but if it was for his friends then he'd lay down his life. And if there was a chance he could save them then he would do whatever it took.

"It's hard to explain…" she sang quietly, a malicious smirk pulling her lips. Fez felt his jaw clench tightly and he exhaled through his nose slowly. "But I can show you."

Fez felt his stomach drop. What did that mean? Did it mean they were dead and she was going to use them as a feature in a psychotic horror house show? Or were they alive and suffering? Fez whimpered as his heart thudded painfully. Kelso, Eric, Hyde, Jackie, and Donna were all suffering because of him and his stupid relationship with Caroline that happened years ago and now it was all coming back to haunt him. If only he had known how crazy she really was…

Fez took a deep breath and met her amused smile with determined eyes and a dark scowl.

"Fine, but this doesn't mean you're getting out of this alive."

She laughed bitterly.

"Your attempt of bravery is so cute, Fezzie," I cooed, then linked my arm with his. He quickly jerked away and cursed in his native language. "Come with me," I whispered before pulling a bag over his face and tying it tightly.

* * *

Fez could feel his body and feet moving yet he didn't know which way he was going. They walked for a considerable amount of time in silence and it was killing him. What was Caroline trying to prove? What had she done to his friends? Considering what happened to Bud Hyde, he wasn't sure if he wanted to know. But if they were alive somewhere then he'd do anything to make sure they were okay.

At the sound of a creaky door opening, he felt his body being pushed forward into a room of bitter cold. His skin prickled and his teeth began to chatter almost uncontrollably. He felt the blindfold loosen on his eyes and when it fell, he caught it. Spinning around to face Caroline, he whimpered; she was gone. Although the last thing he wanted to do was to see her right now, he would have at least liked to know where she was rather than having to wait for her to strike again.

Fez began to glance around at his surroundings. It was mostly dark in here and there was a terrible draft. The old boards holding up what must have been a shed or barn creaked as the wind billowed through the night. He pulled out his lighter and ignited the end; he had to find something to guide him. However, there was nothing in the old building he could use to create a lingering light; if he burned anything in there it would simply burst into flames and turn to ash within five seconds.

Periodically, the lighter would shut off and he have to flick it again; he wished he had Hyde's zippo. The thought of the name made his stomach churn, however, and he shuddered violently. He had to stop thinking though. He had to find his friends.

As he turned the corner, however, the lighter fell from his hands; finding them wasn't so hard after all. He felt tears burn his eyes as he stared at the body in front of him looking too much like wax than he would like to ever see.

"Ay… Kelso?" He whispered, trying to muster the courage to check his best friend's vital signs.

But the way the man looked on the ground told him it would be almost pointless to check.

He had to.

"Sorry to say it, sweetie, but he was almost too easy."

Fez whipped around in a fury of anger and considered bashing her skull in. But the problem was that she was a woman and he'd rather not get arrested; he would figure out another way.

"Then again… he was one of the easiest people I ever knew. Seems fitting, dontcha think?"

"You son of a bitch!" Caroline laughed out loud.

"You mean to say "daughter" of a bitch."

"I will KILL YOU!" he couldn't handle it anymore. Fez slammed her body against the wall and wrapped his hands around her throat. He felt his fingernails dig into her skin and for a moment, he saw a flicker of fear in her eyes. Then she smiled at him.

"Go ahead and try!" She gasped after she kicked him in the gut. Fez spluttered and nearly lost his balance as the wind was knocked out of him. "Kill me like I killed your friends, get revenge, it's what you want, do it!" Fez shook his head.

"You sick fucking bitch. Tell me what you did to my friends." He growled menacingly.

"Ooh, getting feisty." She chirped, pulling out a wax figurine from her pocket. He glanced at it momentarily and felt his heart sink; it was him. "But you asked for it."

* * *

**_AN: Sorry I didn't publish this sooner. A lot has been going on in my life and I hope to finish this story in the next month. I know I said that before but I'm working on the next few chapters and actually had this one finished two weeks ago, I just never had the time to publish it. I hope you guys liked this chapter and if you have any questions, just let me know. Also... remember that things might not always appear how they are... :) _**


	10. Do Not Pass Go

Blood. He could smell blood.

It was as if the rotten stench of the stuff had been placed under his nose, potent enough to make his stomach churn with nausea. It was the first thing he had noticed. It was the last thing that would leave his mind.

Michael Kelso felt his chest heave with labored breathing as he came to. After the heavy scent of blood, he noticed it was dark. And cold. His skin was prickled and every hair seemed to stand on end as he slowly peered around the apparent room he was being held in. What the hell had he gotten them all into and how could he fix it? He was practically useless except the fact he had a gun if he needed to use it.

The surroundings were unfamiliar to him, from what he could see. This was a room he hadn't ventured in; perhaps it wasn't even the house. Although currently his mind couldn't wrap his head around what he had seen or what had happened so he wasn't exactly sure what was real and what wasn't.

All of the blood and insides splayed out as if it were a galleria. The hanging figure in the room he couldn't help but recognize; it was his brother, Hyde. Whoever tried to kill him had gotten to Hyde before. And if they had gotten Hyde, of all people, then dammit, they were all screwed.

But maybe not. Maybe he could fix it. Maybe he could save them all; even if it was the last thing he could do. If he knew his friends were safe, he could die happy.

"Ah, ah, ah!"

That voice. The high-pitch tone had caused the hair on the back of his neck to stand; not quite like the shrill yowl of an alley cat, not quite like the sickening scream of a mountain lion. But the eyes held the same kind of malice as they seemed to glow fiendishly in the dark.

"You might not wanna move that pretty little body, Michael. You might not like what you'll find."

Kelso's brown eyes glared into the blue set that seemed to mock him as the familiar girl sat cross-legged in front of him.

"What did you do to me?" A barking laugh was his answer

"Oh, how I have missed you and your selfishness, Kelso," answered the blonde as she leaned toward him. Kelso pulled away before she could get too close.

"Caroline, what are you doing here? We haven't seen you for years! What did you do to Hyde? Where are my friends?!" His voice was shaking now as he tried to hold back the fear and worry that plagued his heart. "Please… just tell me they're okay."

"They're okay." Her response seemed rehearsed, and her smile was sickeningly sweet.

"No, don't just tell me they're okay. Tell me the truth, what the hell did you do to them?"

A long sigh was heard as Caroline's lips tightened and she lay back on the floor, less than a foot away from Kelso. Where was his gun…?

"Well, it's pretty obvious what I did to Steven; I mean you didn't hallucinate that. I did once, but then I stopped taking that medicine. It made my tummy hurt."

Kelso couldn't help it; his jaw dropped in awe at the clinically insane girl lying next to him. Oh, the countless times he could have said that and laughed. He wished it was a moment like that now. It took all of the willpower in his body to refrain from beating her then and there. Instead, he took a calm breath; violence could wait. Right now he needed answers.

"Listen, Caroline." Kelso panted through gritted teeth as he tried to fight off the pain radiating through his back. Although he was cold, he could feel his hair on his forehead cling together from beads of sweat that wet his face. "I did nothing to you. Now, I have a gun. And if you don't answer my questions right the first time, I will blow your fucking head off. Do you copy?"

"Roger that." She chirped almost too happily; her tone made his stomach squirm.

Kelso took a deep breath as he searched the pocket of his jacket; his heart leapt for joy as he felt the hand weapon hidden in the cloth.

"Why are you here?"

"Why are _you_ here?" She repeated his question. Kelso gritted his teeth and unclenched his fist. "For fun, of course!"

"Oh, so stabbing people and cutting out their insides before hanging them is _fun_ to you?"

"More or less, it depends on my outlook of the day. Tomorrow I may start with a bubble bath, ooh or maybe cookies. Haven't decided yet."

Kelso was dealing with a crazy. He couldn't do it; shooting her didn't seem… right. But she had stabbed him and killed Hyde, that wasn't right either. She was dangerous and more than likely armed and she was a threat. That was enough code to shoot down anyone. But… he knew her. They were almost friends once; she had dated his best friend. Although she turned out to be a real nutcase.

"So, you gonna fight your morals or are you just gonna do it? You realize that it's the easy way out for me? After all I've done tonight, maybe I did it because I want to die, did you think about that, love?"

"Don't… wait, what the hell do you mean? What have you done to my friends?" His eyes met Caroline's, and that was his biggest mistake. He had played right into her hand.

"Oh, Michael, wouldn't _you_…" she traced her index finger down his cheek, "like to know…" she trailed off, her finger hovering at his chest. She bit her lip and smiled mischievously at him. He shuddered at her touch. "I'm sorry, it would just spoil _all _of my fun!"

Kelso scrubbed his hand through his hair in frustration; he wanted answers and this was going nowhere.

"Let's see… I started with you, actually. You're just too easy, pun intended." She began, eyes flickering with excitement as she began her story. "Here you are, stuck with me. But what have I done to your friends? I gave them what they deserved. Just like I'll do to you."

Kelso couldn't wrap his head around this. What had they done to her? Sure, they called her "crazy" a few times but that was years ago and honestly they were pretty spot on by the looks of it. He wasn't exactly the smartest person but he knew there was absolutely no way on God's green earth that what Caroline was doing was justified. She was too messed up in the head to realize it.

He had to talk her down. He had to get her to calm down enough so he could at least knock her out before going to try and find his friends. Or calling the police… he needed help. But for now, if he could figure this out, he could do this on his own. She just had to remain unsuspecting and he knew that would be way too difficult.

"Listen, Caroline…" he began shakily, biting on his lip as a shock of pain radiated through his back from the stab wound; he wasn't going to focus on how he managed to survive that wound right now. "Could you just tell me what you think we-?"

"What I think? Why what I think, because I'm fucking psychotic? It's all in my head? Save, it, Kelso, I've heard it all before. You know you took my life from me, you took everything from me!"

Kelso scoffed.

"Wait, this is all about Fez? Caroline, you stalked him. We had no part of your fallout." Maybe that wasn't the right thing to say to calm her down. He was bad at this.

"SHUT UP!" Caroline screamed, causing Kelso's stomach to drop at the sound of the harsh pitch. She was demented, it was almost as if she was possessed or something. But he knew this was her and that was what made this even scarier. "If it weren't for you and that scarlet whore you all called a friend, Fez would be mine. And he WILL be mine, in life and in death."

Kelso stared blankly at the blonde who remained curled in the fetal position on the floor. Her eyes were like daggers as she glared so viciously at him, her lip curled in a snarl only wolves could possess. She was cornered, she was scared. Her life has been threatened by them, and in order to get her to stop…

"I'm sorry."

Desperate words for desperate times and he knew this was the time and place. The look on her face, as if he had smacked her, made it seem as if his words had hit home. For a second, a glimmer of something other than malice glimmered in her eyes. For a second, he thought he could reach her and stop this madness, whatever it was.

But then, that moment was gone. The shimmer had faded back to the vicious glint of piercing blue and a wicked smile that would put the Cheshire cat to shame spread across her face. Kelso felt his stomach twist with heavy waves of nausea as she stood up above him.

He had failed.

"_Sorry_, Kelso. It's too damn late for apologizing." She spat, pulling a silver blade from her pocket. "Although, those will probably be the nicest last words I'll hear tonight."

Kelso screamed and pushed as hard as he could to move out of the way of the blade that was raised above his body. Only he couldn't move; he was stuck.

"Paralyzed, actually." Caroline chirped, wearing a pout on red painted lips. "From the looks of it, the waist down. How ironic."

Kelso's eyes shifted from the blade in her hand to his legs. His hand trembled violently as he moved to touch the now useless limbs. He couldn't feel it. Only heaviness.

Yet as his eyes moved back to face Caroline, he was met with the silver glint of the point right between the eyes.

* * *

Fez felt his body quake as he spit the bile from his mouth one last time.

His best friend, his brother, the person in this world he could trust the most.

Gone.

Slowly, the dark-toned man turned to face the woman behind the murders of his friends. Caroline wore a face of sympathy as he coughed and spluttered.

"Caroline, where is he?"

She clicked her tongue and grabbed his hand.

"Can't tell you that now, we've only just started! And Fezzy, telling you would just ruin the big surprise."

The last thing the 21 year old saw was her cold blue eyes as she pulled the cloth bag over his head.

* * *

**AN: Quick shout out: To the reviewer Disappointed, this one is for you. **

**And just to let all of my friends and readers know, I am no way in hell giving up on any of my stories. I don't break promises and I am _not_ a liar. **

**If you want the full scoop as to why I haven't been updating as often, visit my blog. There's a link on my profile page. **


	11. Up the Ante

There were two things Eric Forman knew for sure. One, he and his friends were all in trouble. Two, he was royally boned. And not quite like the "foot in your ass" backhand comments from his father when he was being stupid or snarky as a teen and recent years. He was completely, and by proper definition, joined to an object along an inclined plan wrapped helically around an axis. Screwed.

The smell of must, mold, and blood was permeating the air and seemed to gag him as he came to. His head ached with a throbbing pain that was similar to smashing the back of his head on a corner of an object. All he knew was everything everywhere on him hurt like hell.

His mouth was dry, so dry that his tongue felt more like sandpaper as it rubbed against the roof of his mouth for relief. Never would he think he'd be so thankful for saliva. And he felt hot, as if his body were on fire. More like his neck. Absentmindedly, he rubbed at the itchy skin on his neck yet recoiled instantaneously and yelped; only there was no sound except a violent wheeze.

_'What the hell?'_ Eric thought as he gently pressed a finger back on his neck_. 'Smooth, smooth'_ he mentally noted as he traced down, _'that feels like a gash.'_ He pulled back his finger and ran his thumb against the pad of his index finger. There was a liquid coating both digits now; and it looked almost black. Blood.

_'Jesus Christ,'_ he thought, feeling his stomach reel with nausea. He glanced down now and was met with a bloody, nude chest. Wait.

"Donna!" He tried to call out but once again his voice was a pitiful wheeze. Where had she gone? Did she find him? If he was like this, he could only hope she was safe. He stood out of the bed and began to run for the door, but stopped as he realized something else.

_'Why am I naked?'_

Slowly, his mind worked to remember what had happened before he woke up. He and Donna were about to have some naughty fun time. And then someone walked in; was it Donna? And then black. He looked over to the bed and sighed with relief; there was another body on the other side; Donna. How had he not noticed? She made it in here after all. Maybe she accidentally just scratched him really bad on his neck; but why his neck?

_'I guess we were trying to get kinky.'_ He thought with a grin, sliding back into the bed beside his fiancée. That didn't explain why he couldn't talk though; then again, with Donna involved, it did. He tried not to laugh at that.

He reached over lazily and ran his hand through her hair; it was soft against his touch. Same as her skin against his. He smiled as she reached a pale hand to hold his and he squeezed hers gently; the color of her nails looked beautiful with the ring on her finger. Wait. Her nails weren't painted when they got here.

Eric practically leapt out of the bed in horror and fell on the floor. He scrambled away from the bed as the person who had been lying beside him sat up and stretched; her thin, naked body illuminated by the moonlight from the window. Blonde hair met his eyes and he gagged.

"Laurie?!" No words, just sound. Pain shot through his entire throat and he coughed violently. Blood from his mouth spattered against the palm of his hand. The woman in the bed turned around and giggled.

"Nope, close enough. I'm glad to hear your voice, I was scared the cat got your tongue, after all."

No. No way.

Eric stared in horror as blue eyes glittered as Caroline beamed at him as she kneeled on the bed with only a sheet to cover her body from the waist down. Where the hell did she come from?

"You look confused, I'll answer your questions. I'm sure you're at a loss for words."

"That's an understatement."

"This is my revenge. You all wronged me and this is your chance to prove your worth. I never liked you, you were too twitchy, too mouthy. But you were the leader of Fez's friends, you kept everyone together. But can you keep everyone together when they're all going to die?"

"What do you-"

"SHUT UP!" Caroline screamed as she seemed to protract claws, like a cat. "You speak when questioned, got it?" Eric nodded.

"I will tell you where your friends are, but if, and only if you pay attention and make the right move, they will live. At any moment, I can kill them."

"Where are they?" Eric asked.

"That's for you to find out. And this isn't a game, Eric. You don't get three chances. The first choice you're thinking of making will get you killed. Think about it. Think about why your gang is who they are. Then proceed. I'll be watching." Caroline chirped and kissed his cheek. "I expect blood to be shed."

And with that, she ran out of the room.

Eric rubbed his cheek and scrambled to dress. His instincts told him to not believe her; but Caroline was psychotic enough to pull off a stunt like Ed Gein. It was completely possible for her; he just couldn't let it happen. His gut told him to find Donna, but his mind told him to think.

Why is the gang who they are? Kelso, Jackie, Fez, Hyde, Donna, him. Brought together through school. Fez was the last person to be their friend… Jackie was next. But she was always kind of there. Then Donna became an official "member" when she snuck into Kelso's treehouse and pushed him out; Eric and Hyde had to reward her for that. Kelso… he was the next one… they met in first grade. Eric thought he was cool because he was so tall but in reality he was a year older. Hyde.

Hyde was his hired gun. Although Eric and Donna knew each other longer, Hyde and Eric were technically blood brothers; he still had the scar to prove it. They initiated the gang; it was a game. Eric was the boss and Hyde was the hired gun.

Hyde was the first person he had to find.

Eric's mind told him that was the way he should play this card. One false move and someone could die. Although he couldn't trust Caroline on that he couldn't call her a liar either. He couldn't risk any of his friends' lives.

So where had Hyde and Jackie gone? He thought they were just in the living room.

Slowly, painfully, Eric crept down the stairs. Everything was dark and silent except the house creaked and groaned with every step he took. The air was thick with must and dust and was that blood? Eric coughed and covered his mouth; that was suffocating.

As he reached the ground floor, he heard thumping. And muffled screaming; honestly it sounded like Fez. A lot like Fez. Eric paused as he considered following the noise; should he trust his mind? Or his instincts?

This was what Caroline wanted of him. She wanted to drive him insane, didn't she?

Instincts it was.

Eric ran throughout the house, trying to locate where the screaming and noises were coming from. In the pantry, kitchen, living room, parlor… there was nowhere he could possibly be. But he stopped. It sounded like it was everywhere; but very close. Almost as if…

No way.

Eric stared at the all in front of him and waited.

"Fezzy?" He asked. The wall seemed to shake in response as a fist or a foot pounded against it. Eric's jaw dropped in horror; how the hell could he be in the wall? He soon decided he didn't want to know.

With all of the strength left from his training to go to Africa, he kicked the wall as hard as he could. Over and over he pounded his foot against the wall until a large enough hole was created for him to start pulling away the drywall and insulation.

It was a secret room; almost like a panic room. There was a huge amount of space; twice the width of a walk in closet and about the same length. Eric peered in and listened for Fez.

"Fez? It's Eric, where are you?"

"Ai, help me!" Fez cried. Wriggling was heard as he must have begun to crawl on the floor. Soon Eric saw his foreign friend in the dim light from the moon. He had his head covered; no wonder he couldn't see.

"Come here…" Eric murmured, and untied the sack. Fez's hair was in strings and his face glimmered with sweat. He quickly maneuvered his way out of the small hole in the wall and rolled over so Eric could untie his hands. Once free, Fez squeezed him in a tight hug.

"Eric, it's Caroline! She's fucking insane!" He cried, Eric nodded, and tried to squirm away from his friend. Fez got the hint, and backed off.

"She told me… we have to find everyone else. But there's a specific order to it. If I don't follow it then she's going to kill them." Fez scoffed and outstretched his hands.

"Eric, she is a lunatic. She's going to say anything! I know where Kelso is, we can find him and then…" Eric shook his head.

"Man, I know she's crazy. But I have to go with my gut."

"Was I the first person you thought to find?" Eric paused, "see? You didn't go with your gut? And is anyone dead?" Another beat of silence.

And a scream from outside echoed.

Slowly, Fez and Eric made eye contact. The young Forman felt as if all of the blood had been drained from his body. Suddenly order didn't have much of an impact in who to save. It seemed more like "find the source of the screaming and make it better."

"Was that Donna?" Fez asked, Eric shook his head.

"I think it was Jackie…"

"Ai…."

If Caroline thought he was the leader, then he had to make the decisions. Forget her, and her talk of playing the game right. This wasn't a game to him; it was about finding his friends and getting the hell out of dodge.

"Fez, you're going to stay with me until we find everyone, alright? Right now, we're gonna find Jackie. Then everyone else. But right now, we only worry about her. Got it? You have a voice of reason with Caroline… if we completely screw this up, maybe you can make it better."

"But I don't want to marry her…" Eric sighed and exited the house. He pressed a finger to his lips to silent Fez, and the shorter man nodded.

In the night, with crickets and wind, everything seemed more difficult to locate. Sounds ricocheted and echoed and maybe they wouldn't hear anyone properly. Maybe they wouldn't find anyone else.

"STEVEN!"

That was Jackie. Her blood-curdling scream stopped them both in their tracks. Eric and Fez both looked at each other, nodded, and bolted passed the Vista Cruiser and down the hill. It was officially two against one; although they were going against one of the craziest minds, more numbers seemed to help.

Eric just felt better about not having to go through this alone. And so did Fez.


End file.
